The Battle for Bella
by allnamestaken
Summary: What is it that makes Bella so unique? It may not be what you think! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
1. Chapter 1

Edward's lips lingered on mine for a moment longer. Then slowly, tantalizingly, he pulled away.

_Breathe_, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time. Then I looked up at his smiling face and forgot what I had been thinking.

"Breathe Bella," Edward reminded me with a gentle nudge of his nose, a teasing smile on his lips.

"I thought you couldn't read my mind," I said, a little exasperated that he could still make me forget everything while maintaining such control over his own emotions.

"It is becoming a little easier, though you still manage to surprise me every now and then," he said scooting back to the safety of the driver's seat.

I sighed, leaning back on the passenger's side as Edward started the car. I closed my eyes because I knew if I looked up I would see the trees speeding by far too fast for comfort. I tried to relax, and think of something else.

Edward looked at me, his eyes dark smoldering pools. "Tell me what you're thinking about, Bella," he urged softly.

"John," I said honestly, and unthinkingly.

All of a sudden the car came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road.

"What the hell are you trying to do Edward, give me a heart attack?"

"Who exactly is John, Bella?" Edward demanded through clenched teeth, anger shooting in his dark eyes.

"You try to kill us in the middle of the road, and you're worried about John!"

"Don't play games with me Bella. You tell me you are thinking about some other guy, and what? I'm just supposed to take it easy?"

I've never seen Edward with that particular look in his eyes. _He's jealous_, I realized. I couldn't believe it. But I knew that whenever he thought another boy was interested in me in the past, he had always been able to read their minds to find out my response to them, which was something he couldn't do with John. I smiled soothingly at him, reaching out to stroke his hand.

"John was my next door neighbor in Phoenix, Edward. Remember? I told you about him when you were playing 'Million and one questions for Bella'. He lived next door to my mother and me from the time I was about three until I was eight. Then he and his parents moved away, and I never heard from him again."

Edward's hands relaxed a bit on the wheel, and the anger in his eyes cooled. Slowly, he started the car again. He still looked a little miffed, as if unsure of what to say next. I couldn't believe that beautiful, perfect Edward could be at a loss for words.

"So you were thinking about your childhood friend?" Edward asked cautiously, clearly wanting to know more.

I smiled and sat back in my seat, closing my eyes once more.

"Bella?" Edward asked softly.

"Just give me a moment, I promise to tell you. I just need to adjust to your driving again, that's all."

After my stomach had settled a bit, I said, "It's the weirdest thing. I have been having these dreams about when I was a child, playing with John. He was two years older than me, but he didn't have any brothers or sisters and neither did I, so I guess he got stuck playing with me most of the time. Thinking back, I realize now that he would always make sure I didn't get hurt without me knowing it. So it wasn't until his family actually moved that I really began to realize what little hand-eye coordination I have."

Edward snickered, "That couldn't have been easy for the kid. I can only imagine what he must have gone through."

"Very funny," I said. "You know, it always made me very sad that he never kept in touch. I could never figure out why. His family moved all of a sudden, and I never really even got the chance to say good-bye. I mean, I always sort of thought of him as my big brother, but I guess he was just happy not having to look after me anymore."

"So why have you started thinking about him again?"

"I suppose seeing how close you are with your family reminds me of another thing I don't have," I said wistfully.

"You know my family loves you, Bella," Edward chided. "You belong with us now."

"It's not the same. I know they love me, and I love them, but I'm still the outsider. I guess I've always felt that way. Not really fitting in anywhere, even in my own family. The only time I feel as if I truly belong is when I am with you. Even then, I can't be with you fully because I'm human. Unless you've come to your senses about changing me?"

"Bella…" Edward said warningly.

"I know, I know," I sighed. Edward still stubbornly refused to see my side of things. It was so hard sometimes to be so close to him, always wanting more, and knowing that I couldn't have it. I clenched my fists in frustration. I was going to win this battle eventually, no matter what Edward said. But bringing up the subject again would only lead to a fight, so I decided to change the subject.

"So has Alice been able to see what is happening in La Push?"

There had been a string of disappearances from the reservation lately. All young men, between the ages of 19 and 21. Charlie had been working overtime, trying to figure out what was going on. But the tribal elders were strangely silent on the subject, and refused to cooperate with him. Charlie, out of frustration, had another huge row with Billy, and determinedly spent even more time at work trying to figure out what was happening.

The Cullens, on the other hand, were afraid that suspicion might be cast their way, and tried to have Alice find out what was going on so that they could protect themselves if necessary. But for some reason, Alice was unable to see anything about the disappearances at all.

Edward let out a low growl of frustration and said, "Not yet. It's like she's hitting a wall, like when I try to read your mind. We've tried everything to help her, but nothing seems to work. Carlisle is thinking of trying to meet with the Quileutes, to prevent any misunderstandings that might force us to leave Forks."

I chanced a glance over at Edward, ignoring the scenery zooming by at ridiculous speed outside the window. I knew with every fiber of my being that I belonged with him, and I couldn't imagine how I would feel if Edward ever left me.

Edward gave me one of his heart stopping smiles. "I could never leave you, Bella." He promised, knowing instinctively what I needed to hear even if he couldn't read my mind.

"You're leaving me tomorrow," I teased.

"You know I have to hunt more often to be able to stay so close to you. Besides, it will be a short trip, three days max."

I sighed. Three days away from Edward still seemed like an eternity. I closed my eyes again and tried to think of something else. "Are you going with Emmett this time?"

"Actually, it will probably be more of a family affair, with everyone but Carlisle and Esme going."

"Partying without the parents?" I asked a little enviously.

"Something like that," Edward agreed with a grin.

Too soon we were at my house, but luckily Charlie was still not home. I felt a wave of guilt – I was using Charlie's distractions to spend even more time than usual with Edward. I got ready for bed, and sighed with pleasure at the sight of Edward stretched out on my bed. He beckoned me nearer, though I needed no prompting. Falling asleep in Edward's arms was one of my favorite parts of the day. He stroked my hair, and sang his sweet, low lullaby. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, I turned to smell Edward's sweet, delicious sent on the pillow next to me. Then I blushed, and a tingling warmth went through my body, as I remembered the dream I had had about Edward. I could only hope that I didn't mumble anything _too_ embarrassing in my sleep. I sighed, not really wanting to get up, knowing that Edward wasn't going to be around today.

Eventually, I headed downstairs. Charlie was already gone, as usual. I was halfway through my cereal, when there was a knock on the door. My heart leapt, and foolishly I hoped it was Edward, even though I knew he would have gone hunting by now. I opened the door to see a tall, dark haired guy about my age standing at the door. When he saw me, he turned around to stare at me curiously.

"Hello, can I help you?" I asked, wondering who he could be. By now, I pretty much knew everyone in town and couldn't place his face, though it did seem somewhat familiar.

"Bella? Is that you?" the young man asked, his brows furrowed in concentration as if he was trying to place me.

"Do I know you?" I asked, instinctively drawing back a little. Unfortunately, I managed to catch my heel on the edge of the rug, and went flying forward out the door.

The young man caught me quickly in his arms, and flashed me an infectious grin. "It's nice to see some things never change."

I had a sudden flash of recognition. "John!"

"You do remember me." He said, standing me up straight and entering the house.

"John, what are you doing here?" I asked incredulously. I thought about the dreams I had been having, and wondered if hanging around Alice so much hadn't somehow rubbed off on me.

"I came to see you Bella. I was worried about you." John said, looking at me sincerely. It was as if I could feel the years melt away, and the older brother I had always wanted was back in my life. But then I felt my resentment for the way he left all those years ago, without saying a word, swelling up in me.

"It's been 10 years, and now you're worried about me?" I asked, reluctantly leading John into my humble abode.

"What better time," asked John, "than now that you are dating a vampire?"

I whipped around to stare at him incredulously, "What in the world are you talking about?" _How could he possibly know?_

John sighed and sat down in Charlie's favorite chair. "Bella, if you can accept him, do you think you could accept me too?"

I looked at him carefully. His skin glowed with a healthy tan, and although he was definitely handsome, no one could mistake him for one of the Cullens. He had an outdoorsy, athletic presence that suggested he spent a great deal of time in the sun, as I often wished I could. Definitely not vampire material, but how else could he know about Edward?

"Are you trying to tell me you're a vampire?" I asked cautiously, trying to figure out what John was trying to tell me.

John howled with laughter. "Me? A cold one? I don't think so!" he said chuckling.

"So what are you?" I asked, getting annoyed at his laughter.

John looked at me, and the term "puppy dog eyes" immediately jumped into my head.

"Bella, I'm a werewolf."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and Alice all came crashing through my door.


	2. Chapter 2

Before I had a chance to react to anything, John had me locked in his arms. Edward growled menacingly as he advancing on us with a murderous look in his eye.

"Bella, quick, tell him who I am," John urged.

"Edward, this is my friend John. Remember, we were talking about him last night."

"Get your hands off her," Edward growled, murder flashing in his eyes. I could see that he and the others were ready to tear John limb from limb. Somehow, I instinctively knew that John would never hurt me, anymore than Edward or his family would. I had to do something to get the situation under control.

"Edward, you need to calm down. I told you about John. He's like a brother to me." I said in a cajoling voice. It didn't seem to help. He and the others were still coming at us. They started to spread out, forming a semi-circle around us.

"Bella, he's a werewolf." Edward growled in rage.

"I know Edward, but listen…"

"You know!" Edward exclaimed incredulously, stopping his methodical advance on us. The others remained frozen in place.

"Forget it, Edward," said Emmett with an evil grin, "He's the reason our hunt was cut short. I think he needs to pay the price for that."

At that, John let out a low, rumbling growl, and tightened his grip on me. I looked up at him in surprise. Edward clenched his fists and looked at John with hatred.

"Let Bella go!"

"Edward," I tried again, "forget the situation. Just read John's mind. Surely you can see that he means me no harm."

"I can't," bit out Edward.

I looked up at John. He was smiling fiercely in satisfaction. Could we be linked somehow, was that why Edward couldn't read his mind either? "John?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Are we connected somehow? Is that why Edward can't read your mind either?"

At that, Edward leaped toward us in rage, but John was just as quick, and had jumped out of the way with me, carrying me as if I was as light as a feather. The others quickly herded us back into our original semi-circle position.

"No," John said, "he probably _could_ read my mind if I let him. But there's no way I'm letting a cold one into my head!"

I saw Edward and his family looking silently at one another. It was clear that they were telepathically formulating a strategy to get me away from John, and I didn't want to think about what would happen to him if they succeeded.

"John," I said in exasperation, "they're going to kill you. I think you need to make an exception just this one time."

John's eyes swept around the room, with a calculating look. From Emmett to Rosalie to Alice to Jasper. Then his eyes settled in Edward with a look of supreme distaste. The seconds ticked by.

Then Edward, clearly reluctant to give up the attack, said, "If you can block me from reading your mind, how do I know what you are showing me now is true?"

John looked down at me with an unreadable expression, then looked back and stared at Edward. To my surprise, Edward began to laugh.

The others and I looked from John to Edward in confusion. Then Edward said, "Alice?"

Alice relaxed, and replied, "I already told you that even though Bella was with a werewolf, I didn't see any trouble."

Emmett, unwilling to give up his chance for some good sport, argued, "I still say we rough him up a bit, you know, to teach him who's boss."

Jasper just shrugged, and Rosalie made herself comfortable on the sofa, lounging with the perfection of a movie star.

John slowly let go of me, and I went over to Edward, sliding into his cold embrace. I looked up into his perfect face. "I'm glad you finally saw reason. What changed your mind?"

"John kindly shared with me his memory of your seventh birthday party."

"Not the clown!" I moaned mortified, my cheeks instantly going red.

"You're the one who wanted me to share my thoughts," John said dryly, clearly still tense in a room full of vampires.

"Why don't you come sit here next to me," Rosalie purred, coyly patting the seat next to her.

I looked at her in surprise. That was unexpected. Clearly, it was something Emmett had not expected either.

"That's it," he said, striding back towards John.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Jasper, as he grabbed Emmett by one arm while Alice pulled on his other arm.

John, on the other hand, grinned wolfishly at Rosalie's invitation. He took in her magnificent form in clear male appreciation. "Sorry, but your 'magnetism' doesn't affect me, even coming from a vampire as delectable as you."

Emmett lunged again, but this time Edward cut him off. "You know I'd gladly join you, but I think we need to keep him healthy - for awhile, anyway. He maybe able to tell us why Alice can't see what is going on in La Push."

Now it was Alice's turn to look startled. "He knows why my visions have been blocked?"

"Yes, that's why he's here. Isn't that right, John? So why don't you tell us exactly what you know so that you can go back to wherever the hell it is that you came from?"

At that, Emmett sat down next to Rosalie with his arms draped around her, Jasper pulled Alice into his lap as he perched on the edge of the sofa, and Edward wrapped his arms around me possessively. John took this all in with a sardonic smile. Then, sitting as far away from the six of us as possible, he began, "Actually, I'm not here to tell you why your little friend -Alice, is it? - hasn't been able to see certain things, though it is part of the tale. No, I'm here for Bella. I needed to make sure that she was safe. You see, our kind have our own ways for seeing into the future, and for awhile now, we have been seeing what we believe is going to be a war between our two kinds. And, unfortunately, from what we can see, Bella seems to be at the heart of it all."

And with that, all eyes turned toward me.


	3. Chapter 3

_First, I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to review my story. Thanks again!_

_The only reason I stopped writing was because the kids insisted I feed them. And the baby's diaper was rank – I just couldn't put off changing it any longer. Sorry!_

_I also want to thank Twilight lexicon. It was nice to have a place to check to make sure I was staying true to the story._

_It's just so hard to let go of Twilight, isn't it? I just love the world Stephenie Meyer has created, and this is my way of staying sane until the sequel. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy!_

"Hey, I didn't do anything," I said defensively, looking to Edward for support. His arms tightened around me, and he looked menacingly at John.

"Look, John, you're skating on very thin ice here. The only reason you're still alive is that for some reason, Bella seems to trust you - but don't push me," Edward warned.

"You had to fall for _that_, Bella?" John said with disgust.

Edward clearly took offense to that, but before he had a chance to do anything foolish, I said, "John, I don't think you get to come here after all this time and criticize my love life."

"Love life, hmm? Well, I admit I had my doubts when I first heard that you were mixed up with vampires, but it is clear that your boyfriend and his family are serious about protecting you, and that's something at least. I just think we need a moment to talk alone first, Bella."

"Not going to happen, John," Edward said, "So stop with the cryptic remarks and get on with it."

"Yes, do tell us _all_ about it John," Rosalie said in a throaty voice, "we're just _dying_ to know more about you."

Emmett growled again, murder flashing in his eyes, but Rosalie stopped him by gently stroking his chest with her perfectly manicured hand.

John just gave Rosalie a goofy smile, proving that he wasn't as unaffected by Rosalie's charms as he claimed to be. He continued to stare, and Rosalie, though still stroking Emmett's chest, gave him a sultry smile. John seemed to forget why he had come.

Exasperated, I stepped away from Edward and snapped my fingers in front of John's face. "Hello, remember me? Bella? You came into my house to criticize my love life and tell me I'm about to start a war? Does any of this ring a bell?"

Luckily, John seemed to snap out of his daze, and looked at me with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry Bella. I never wanted it to be like this. I just had to make sure you were okay. I always thought of you as my baby sister, you know." He reached out to touch my cheek.

I sat on the table in front of John and whispered, "If you cared so much, how could you leave without even saying goodbye?"

"Bella, I was only ten. I didn't know what to do. I don't know if you remember, but my parents and I had gone camping with my uncle. One night as we were sitting by the campfire, we were attacked by vampires." His eyes flicked reflexively around the room.

I didn't know what to say. As if sensing my need, Edward sat beside me and took my hand in his cold one. John moved back, and a wave of sadness washed over his face, but he continued.

"There were three of them, two men and a woman. My parents and my uncle were killed, but I guess the vampires were full by the time they had come to me, because even though they drank my blood, I didn't die. I felt as if I were on fire, my whole body in flames. It was pure agony. Then suddenly, I heard a howl, followed by another and another, until the night seemed to filled with the sounds of wolves. And strangely, that sound helped cool the fire. The next thing I remember was a man standing over me, and I looked up and saw his eyes looking into my own. I knew I could trust him. He picked me up and I felt his mouth find my neck.

"I learned later that the blood of werewolves is a natural antidote for the vampire's venom. But with the antidote comes a price – I became a werewolf. Since my family was gone, Louis, the werewolf who saved me, arranged for it to look like my parents and I had simply moved away. Later, a car accident was staged to disguise the way my parents and uncle had really died, and I was adopted by the pack."

I was stunned. Here I was, thinking that John had been glad to be rid of me, tired of protecting me, when instead he had gone through so much. I was ashamed of myself. Edward looked at me with sympathy, and stroked my hair. "It's not your fault, Bella, there is no way you could have known." he whispered in my ear, knowing what I needed to hear.

John looked up in surprise. I guess werewolves had better hearing than humans, too. "Bella, I would never say this to you to make you feel bad for _me_. I always regretted not being able to tell you, and wondered if I was wrong not to contact you somehow. It's just not easy for me to, you know, spill my guts."

He looked furtively around the room, "Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words…"

I laughed, in spite of myself. John flashed me one of his infectious grins that I had missed for so long. A dozen questions popped into my head, just like when I found out Edward was a vampire.

"But if you were bitten at ten…." I said in confusion.

Before John could answer, Edward surprised me by saying, "Vampires and werewolves are not the same Bella. We are dead. Werewolves are definitely alive, so they will continue to grow. I admit I don't know very much about them, but of that much I am certain."

John nodded, and turned toward Edward. It seemed that they had come to an understanding at John's confession. Then, all of a sudden, Edward's face clenched. I looked at him questioningly. He looked at me and I saw the anger in his eyes. He said, "John showed me what happened to his family. It was James."

John sat up, "You know who killed my parents?" he demanded.

"Yes, he was after Bella, too. He almost had her, but we were able to get to her in time. Don't worry – we made him pay for what he did." Edward's eyes turned fiery at the memory of what happened in Phoenix. I shivered at the unexpected coincidence.

John stood up and began to pace the room, digesting the news that his parent's killer was dead. Then he said, "Unfortunately, that incident with the tracker was also when Bella's abilities showed up on the radar."

"What abilities?" I asked, still thoroughly confused. "Why would anyone be after _me_?"

John turned to me, and I could see he was still struggling with what to say. Apparently, his struggle was evident to the others in the room as well.

"You know, she's a lot stronger than she looks," Alice said.

"Yeah," Jasper piped in, "she's pretty capable - for a human."

I shot Jasper a dirty look. This was driving me crazy. If John didn't hurry up and tell me what was going on, I was going to sic Emmett on him.

"Look, this isn't easy. I mean, never in a million years did I think I would be telling pack secrets in a room full of vampires. I'm breaking about a dozen rules here, and if anyone finds out what I've done…"

Edward laughed, "Join the club. I've broken quite a few rules with Bella myself. But I'm still here."

I elbowed Edward in his marble chest to let him know what I thought of his teasing. Unfortunately, my elbow definitely got the short end of the stick.

"Would it be easier to tell us why my visions are blocked?" Alice asked anxiously, obviously as impatient with John as I was.

John sighed. "Look, I'll try and start at the beginning. Wolves and men have been natural companions for centuries. They protected each other, and helped each other hunt, surviving together much more successfully than either would have alone. However, vampires proved a greater challenge than either species could handle, even together. Thus, the werewolf was born."

"How, exactly, did that happen?" asked Jasper, in his most persuasive manner.

John froze. He began struggling to free himself of Jasper's influence. At this rate, I'd never find out what John was trying to tell me.

"Jasper, please let him tell the story in his own way," I said impatiently.

Jasper just grinned, and gave me a shrug. John stopped struggling, and turned to look at Jasper.

"Well, well, well. This has turned out to be a more interesting meeting than I expected," John said wryly.

"So werewolves were born to help humans deal with vampires?" I prompted.

"Yes, and like vampires, werewolves also have heightened senses. Our sense of smell, our hearing, our reflexes, are all far superior to our human brothers. Similarly, our intellect is far superior to our wolf brothers. So we were initially successful in keeping the vampires at bay. But as Edward said, unlike vampires, we are very much alive. We grow old, and eventually die. So we have had to find ways of passing on our abilities, our ways, to the next generation."

Rosalie gave a soft growl and slowly stretched her luxurious form. As if John needed another distraction.

"So werewolves and vampires don't mix. I got it. What's that got to do with me?"

"I'm getting there, really. Okay, so for centuries, vampires and werewolves have been enemies. But vampires are notoriously hard to kill, even for werewolves. Often, it takes a whole pack to take down two or three vampires, and even then, the cost is often quite high for the pack. Also, some vampires seemed to have supernatural powers, like Alice or Edward. So werewolves began trying to find better ways to protect themselves than depending on their natural abilities alone. We turned to science."

"This is all a very pretty story," growled Emmett, "but werewolves are not the sweet, caring creatures you make them out to be. Why don't you tell Bella the truth about yourself?"

"It's true that all werewolves do not care to protect human life," John admitted, "just like it seems that not all vampires drink human blood."

"You seem to be well informed," observed Edward.

John hesitated, "I have been watching you all at a distance, with Bella. I have struggled with this, believe me. Finally, I decided that I had no choice but to trust you with the truth. It was the only way to keep Bella safe."


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the cliffhangers guys! I guess since I have the story in my head, to me, it feels like I'm just trying to find interesting places to stop. I'll try to keep my drama vibes in check. _;-)

_Thanks again for everyone's encouragement. I really appreciate all the comments, and hope that the story fulfills your expectations. Here we go again…_

I thought I was going to tear my hair out – or rather John's. Edward began stroking my back, and I closed my eyes to concentrate on that sensation. I knew he must be as anxious as I was, but he was doing his best to help me stay calm.

"You were spying on us," Edward accused in a low voice.

"It was the only way to be sure." John confirmed.

"But I didn't see you before. Today, when you were here with Bella, I saw you and I knew what you were. But I didn't see you before today," Alice said with frustration.

"And you wouldn't have seen me today if I hadn't let you," John said, "Although I admit, I didn't expect you to get here quite so quickly."

"So you see, we can protect Bella quite well on our own," Edward said with satisfaction.

"Actually, that's what I have been counting on. But it may not be as easy as you think. The Council is convinced that Bella is the key to wiping out vampires forever."

"John, stop it! You're driving me crazy! I'm going to attack you myself!" I cried.

"Sorry, Bella, really. I told you I was no good at this. I just wanted to make sure you understood where I was…"

"Just get on with it!"

"Okay, okay. Look, I told you that it all started with Phoenix. The Council tries to track all possible vampire attacks, as consistent activity is the surest way to find a coven. When we got the report on what happened in Phoenix, that's when the elders started to notice you."

"Why?"

"Bella, don't you see? You should have died! Anyone else _would_ have died! And look at you now, only a few months have passed and you're ready to attack a werewolf!"

"You can't be serious…"

"Wait a minute, John," Edward said, "Bella certainly has a way of attracting trouble, I'll give you that…"

"It's more than that. She has no fear for herself."

"I've been afraid many times!" I said, unable to believe John. He was clearly out of his mind.

" Bella, it's not just any fear. Aaah, how do I explain this? When you're in danger, really in danger, are you afraid?"

I shook my head in frustration, unable to understand what he was trying to tell me.

"Bella," Edward said slowly, "I think he may have a point. You have no sense of when you are in danger. It's always scared the hell out of me. You have no idea of how fragile you are, how easily hurt."

"Actually, she's not," John contradicted, "She heals remarkably fast, both mentally and physically. Even when she was small, and would get hurt, she would be up and about in no time at all, no crying or fussing. I was always amazed at how she could bounce back so quickly."

John took my hands in his, "Think about it, Bella - your natural lack of fear in the face of danger, your ability to heal quickly. If those traits were enhanced and combined with those of a werewolf, you would be a virtually unstoppable soldier."

"So that's what your Council is after – a way to change Bella into a werewolf so she can join an army intent on killing vampires?" Edward asked, the anger slipping back into his voice.

"No, its worse. They don't want Bella changed at all. They want her just the way she is, so that they can have her blood."

"Her blood?" thundered Edward murderously.

"You see, one of the newer ways our kind has been able to combat vampires has been to find humans with special abilities and genetically isolate the source of their abilities. It turns out, they key is in the blood."

"And you expect us to believe that you've done that – isolated the genes that are the source of a person's power?"

"Not only have we done it, but we've been also able to isolate the component in vampire venom that enhances those abilities. Furthermore, we've been able to develop a protocol that will combine the two elements into a type of serum that can then be given to all the members of the pack. That's how I can block you from my mind, Edward. There is a serum that enhances our ability to hide our thoughts."

"And there's a serum you take that keeps me from seeing the future?" Alice asked incredulously.

"Actually," John replied, "it's the same serum. Think about it, the future depends upon the decisions of the people who they are about. Basically, you couldn't see me, because I was able to block you from seeing the possible decisions I was making. It doesn't always work – the future is too complex for this to be a full-proof system. But it does make things vague enough that we usually enjoy the element of surprise."

Edward was not taking this news well. He stood up and paced around the room, his muscles tense. "Are you trying to tell me that the Council of werewolves, or whatever the hell it is, wants to turn Bella into a guinea pig?"

"More or less. There are those who oppose the plan, of course, like Billy Black."

"Billy is a werewolf?" I asked stunned.

"No, no, no. He is one of the human elders. But he and his family have always been respected members of the Council."

Emmett laughed humorlessly, "Well, this should be fun. I've always wanted to take on a pack of werewolves."

Edward grabbed John by the shoulders, "This can't be it. There's more, I can feel it. Tell me all of it now."

John sighed. "I never thought much about what happened in the Council, I just wanted to avenge my parents by killing as many vampires as I could. I mean, they had it coming, you know? But I guess I should have been paying more attention. They said, here's a serum that can boost your strength, or help you protect your mind, or fight a vampire's magnetism, and I thought, great! I never worried about how it happened. Even now, if it wasn't about Bella, I'm not sure I would care, so long as I was able to kill as many vampires as possible. There are those who have been against the testing from the beginning, preferring to fight in the old ways, like Billy. There are others who care nothing for the battle, but want only to strengthen their own powers. But I've always believed that all vampires were evil and that I was meant to be a soldier in the war against them. It was my destiny. But then the Council wanted to use you, Bella, and I knew that I couldn't let that happen."

"It's not going to happen, John," Edward promised as he pulled me into his arms. "I won't let it."

I squeezed Edward, and felt the tears rise at the unfairness of it all. "It's not true. It can't be! I'm the biggest klutz in the world. Your soldiers would be tripping all over themselves. Some army that would be!"

"Bella, they know that, and they think they can work around it. Chances are, the vampire venom would neutralize those tendencies, anyway. At the very least, they're willing to give it a try. To them, you are a means to an end, and they believe the odds are strongly in their favor. I mean, you dangle the possibility of a nearly invincible army in front of someone, chances are they're going to bite."

"Interesting choice of words," Emmett said as he rose, carefully stalking John.

"Emmett, please," I said, stepping between him and John.

"You said that Billy Black was against the plan," Edward started, "is there any chance he will be able to sway the Council."

"Personally, I think it is unlikely. I guess it could happen. But I think the best chance Bella has is with you."

Edward nodded purposefully. "We'd better get back home and talk with Carlisle and Esme. We'll need everyone together to plan for Bella's safety."

I shook my head, "I will not keep putting you and your family in danger, Edward. You're seriously considering fighting who know how many werewolves with super enhanced abilities? I don't think so!"

Emmett laughed, "Just what I've always wanted, Bella."

Edward looked into my eyes, mesmerizing me, "Bella, we will protect you. There is no other option."

John gave a small cough, "Actually, there is. That's why I'm here, talking to all of you. You see, they want Bella for her blood. But, if she didn't have any…"

As the meaning of John's words hit home, Edward let out a growl of rage.


	5. Chapter 5

A week had passed since the confrontation with John at my house. It turned out that John had been staying at La Push, and that the men who had disappeared had actually been 'drafted' by the Council. John had been able to convince Billy that he could at least let Charlie know that the boys were safe, so that Charlie would call off the investigation. John even arranged a fishing trip for himself, Billy, Charlie and Jacob, so that the two friends could officially put the whole incident behind them. Needless to say, Charlie loved John.

Edward spent the first few days pouting. There was no other way to put it. Beautiful, perfect Edward was pouting because of the way Charlie and I had welcomed John. I couldn't believe it, but secretly, a part of me was pleased that Edward cared so much. I knew exactly how he felt - it had taken some time for me to be comfortable around Rosalie myself. But I couldn't stand to see Edward hurting in any way because of me. I knew that it would help if he could read John's thoughts, so I convinced John to stop taking the serum. After that, the tension between Edward and John lessened somewhat.

Edward still refused to even think about changing me to protect me from the Council. As it turned out, there was still some dissention within the Council itself on using the serums. Billy's insistence that the testing was wrong, coupled with a break-in at the lab by rogue werewolves, had convinced the Council that they needed more time to think through their plans more carefully.

Emmett and Jasper had their own way of indoctrinating John into our little group – they challenged John to every sport and physical activity they could think of. At first, I was horrified at what might happen, but Edward assured me that his brothers wouldn't actually hurt John – much. So we spent days watching the boys go at it. Alice and Rosalie were an enthusiastic cheering section, looking more alluring than any human cheerleader ever could. In fact, Rosalie was such a good cheerleader, she often made John lose his concentration until Emmett finally pounded him into finding it again.

Edward opted to stay out of the competition. I think he didn't want me to see just how much he would enjoy taking on John, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Having his solid frame lounging next to me, and his cold hand in mine, helped keep me calm.

John usually lost, but he didn't seem to mind. Now that Edward was able to read his mind, he told me that John never really expected to win – he knew how strong vampires were. He just wanted to make me happy by playing along with Emmett and Jasper. Edward alsosaid that the games were actually helping John – he had been so conflicted about trusting vampires, that seeing how close we all were was slowly setting his mind at ease.

Edward told me that the others were also impressed with John's abilities – even Emmett, though grudgingly. Edward himself seemed to be more and more receptive to John as time wore on. They actually both shared a passion for music, and John was awed by Edward's collection. All in all, things were working out better than I had hoped.

One day, after Emmett and Jasper had totally exhausted John in a series of relay races that could have passed for boot camp, we all sat in the back yard, enjoying the sun. Edward was lying back on the grass in only a pair of Bermuda shorts, looking delectable. I sat next to him, cross-legged, tracing random patterns on his sparkling marble chest with my finger. Emmett had collapsed in Rosalie's lap, and Jasper and Alice chose to snuggle in one of the lounge chairs on the deck. John was lying face down in the grass a few feet away.

"Still alive?" Rosalie purred at John.

John slowly lifted his head to look at her, then glanced at Emmett, "No," he said, putting his head back down.

"Good answer," growled Emmett. "The boy's a slow learner, but he does get it eventually."

John just grunted in response.

"I don't get it," I said, my focus never straying from Edward's chest, "I thought there was a serum to help you fight vampire magnetism. Doesn't it work with Rosalie?"

John didn't answer, but Edward began to laugh. John flipped onto his back and gave Edward a dirty look. "I must have been crazy to let a cold one into my head," John mumbled.

"Let's not keep it a secret," Jasper said, "this sounds interesting."

Before Edward could say anything, John said, "Let's just say that the serum had certain side-effects that I didn't care for, and leave it at that."

"His girlfriend didn't care for them either," Edward snickered.

"His girlfriend?" I asked, confused. Then it hit me, and my cheeks turned red, "_Oh._"

Everyone began cracking up at John's expense. To my surprise, John didn't look angry, just incredibly embarrassed. And his cheeks looked suspiciously pink under his tan.

"Are you blushing?" I asked, teasing.

"I can't help it," John admitted, "On the plus side, Sarah thinks it's cute."

"Sarah would be the aforementioned girlfriend that doesn't like the side-effects to the serum?" Jasper asked, enjoying John's embarrassment.

"Yes."

"Is Sarah a werewolf, too?" I asked, curious. There was still so much I didn't know about John.

"No," John answered, "She's human. And perfect." John gazed up at the sky, his thoughts clearly miles away.

"You know, she thinks you're pretty special, too." Alice said, "She has a surprise waiting for you when you get home."

John smiled at Alice. "It must be nice, knowing the future."

"When you're seeing the good things, sure," Alice said, "but sometimes I see things I wish I hadn't."

The thought made us all fall silent. I rested my palm on Edward's chest, and his hand came up to cover mine. I stared into his beautiful topaz eyes, and he smiled softly at me, both of us thinking of all we had been through.

Finally, Emmett broke the silence. "Why don't you tell us more about Sarah?" He said, looking up at Rosalie. Rosalie just smiled down at him knowingly, stroking his face with her fingers.

"Sarah and I went to the same high school. Since my primary responsibility has always been to the pack, I ended up missing school a lot. Unfortunately, my grades took a nosedive as a result. I just couldn't seem to care about school. Sarah was assigned to me as my tutor to help me get my grades out of the gutter. It was either that, or not graduate, which Louis informed me was not an option."

"So that's when you started dating?" I asked.

"Not exactly," John said, smiling at the memory, "we definitely rubbed each other the wrong way when we first met. I didn't want a tutor, didn't want to deal with school at all, and Sarah couldn't figure out why I was such a jerk about it. We were constantly fighting. But she was so damn gorgeous when she was angry. I couldn't stay away from her, and found myself trying to irritate her just to see the spark in her eyes. I know it was childish, but I just couldn't help it."

"So how could an intelligent human being fall for _you_?" Emmett taunted.

But John didn't take the bait. He said simply, "She figured out I was a werewolf."

"And she's okay with it?" I asked, thinking about my relationship with Edward. I remembered when I told him it didn't matter to me what he was, how furious he had been with me then.

"We're still working on it," John admitted. "Our relationship is not exactly where I would like it to be."

"Is she afraid of your being a werewolf?" I asked, thinking of all the warnings Edward used to give me. Thankfully, those days were behind us now, but I guess I could see how it could make a girl nervous to have a non-human boyfriend.

"No, I think I've convinced her she has nothing to fear from me. No, it's just that I'm away so much. It's hard, that's all."

"How did you convince her not to be afraid?" I asked, curious.

John turned pink again. _That's interesting_, I thought. But just then Edward sat up and said, "Come on, Bella. Give the guy a break. He doesn't need the third degree from you after what Emmett and Jasper just put him through."

John shot him a grateful look and stood up. "Actually, I should head back to the reservation. I want to call Sarah to see what kind of surprise she has for me."

"She won't tell you," Alice called, as John jogged away. He just waved without stopping.

"I think it's time for us to head indoors, too," Edward said, standing up and pulling me up after him.

"But I want to enjoy the sun," I protested.

"Please, Bella," Edward urged, gazing into my eyes.

"Su..Sure," I stammered, dazzled by his gaze and his sweet breathe.

"See you guys later," Edward called as he dragged me up to his room. Honestly, the sun couldn't compare with the heat that coursed through me when I thought of being alone with Edward in his room.

He shut the door behind us, and began selecting CDs for his sound system. His distance gave me a chance to clear my head.

"So what didn't you want John to tell me?" I asked, knowing very well that was what he was trying to do.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Edward declared, putting in the CD, and pushing play.

"You dazzled me on purpose down there, and don't deny it. I can tell when you do that, you know."

"Bella, don't be silly. I was just tired of sitting outside with everyone. I wanted you for myself," he said with a smoldering look in his eyes, as he slid down next to me.

I could feel myself melt, so I said, "Oh no you don't, Edward. Now I _know_ there is something going on, and if you don't tell me, I'll just go get it out of John."

Edward sighed, "Bella, I just don't want you to get any ideas."

"Ideas about what?"

"I saw how John got Sarah to trust him," Edward started.

"Oh really," I said, trying to be nonchalant. "How was that?"

Edward mumbled something unintelligible. Exasperated, I said, "Now loud enough for us humans?"

Edward stood up and walked across the room, deliberately putting distance between us. Then, so I could hear, he said, "Hand-cuffs."

My cheeks turned red. I whispered, "Hand-cuffs?"

Edward was right. My head felt as if it would burst with the possibilities. I could just imagine what would happen if I could….

Edward growled, "Bella, stop that!"

"Stop what?" I asked, knowing perfectly well what he was referring to.

"It wouldn't work, Bella," Edward growled as he paced the room. I took in his perfect form, his muscles taut with tension.

"Don't you trust me?" I asked, pouting.

"I don't trust _me_!" Edward said in frustration.

"We could ask Alice if it would work..." I suggested timidly.

"No!" Edward responded immediately. I looked down, more disappointed than I thought I would be. I would never want to push Edward too far, I loved him far too much to do that. Still, all the delicious possibilities…

"Oh, Bella," Edward sighed and came to sit down next to me. He opened his arms, and I slid into his cold embrace. I laid my head on his shoulder, and thought, _This is enough. It has to be._


	6. Chapter 6

_To fluff or not to fluff? **Warning: Fluff ahead! **(Sorry, I didn't warn you about the last chapter, still trying to get the hang of things! I just needed a little break from the drama, but it'll be back soon!)_

_Is it too late for disclaimers? This story (all chapters, whether I remember to mention it or not) is based on Twilight by Stephenie Meyers._

_Thanks again for all who review. Your encouragement is fantastic and I really, really appreciate it!_

John decided to leave the next day. He said he wanted to check and see what was going on with the Council, but I think he was anxious to get Sarah's surprise. He came by early to say good-bye to Charlie, and to pick me up so that we could spend some time together before he left. John drove a cute little Prius, a far cry from the Cullens' cars. It might not be as fast as he would like, he told me, but at least he was doing his bit to help protect the environment. And he drove at a sane speed.

"So where would you like to go Bella?" he asked.

"To the Cullens," I replied automatically. Belatedly, I realized he might want to spend some time alone. "That is, if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind," John said, with a smile. "It'll give me a chance to say good-bye to them, too."

"You like them, don't you? And not just for my sake?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, yeah," John admitted, reluctantly. "I mean, I don't think Emmett and I will ever be best friends, or anything, but I guess the Cullens are cool for vampires."

"So…can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, you can ask me anything, Bella."

"How did the hand-cuff thing work?"

John's little Prius came to a screeching halt. So much for sane driving, I thought.

"That son-of a….he told you!" John demanded outraged.

"John, he didn't have a choice, I wheedled it out of him!" I protested.

"Yeah, right. Bella, vampires are tricky creatures. I see that now. You need to stay away from Edward."

"You just said you liked the Cullens!"

"That was before I realized what a pervert Edward was! I can't believe he told you!"

"That's just rich, John! Edward just told me about the hand-cuffs, and you're calling him a pervert! What's does that make _you_ then?"

"Look, Bella, my situation is completely different. I'm not a blood-sucking vampire. Edward _is_. I thought he wanted to protect you, to keep you safe. And now you tell me he thinks it's okay to use hand-cuffs? Ha! I'd be laughing, if I didn't want to throttle the no good bastard with my bare hands!"

"John, it wasn't Edward's idea – it was mine! I knew he was keeping something from me, so I made him tell me what he saw in your head. Then he flat out refused to talk to me about it any further. If anything, I'm the pervert."

John had the grace to look ashamed of his outburst. He was quiet for a time, and then he finally said, "I'm sorry, Bella. I know it can't be easy for you. Or Edward, I guess. I know that you guys love each other, but I guess knowing it and accepting it are two very different things. And there are some things I'm not sure I really want to know about the two of you. I mean you said hand-cuffs, and I flashed to a picture of you in my head of when you were eight and had pig tails, with big, bad Edward stalking you. It was all too creepy for me."

I laughed, "I haven't had pig tails in a long time, John."

John started the car again and said, "Don't remind me."

We managed to get to the Cullens without further incident, and the whole family was there to greet us. Alice had already let the others know that John would be leaving, so they were prepared. Carlisle and Esme were ever the gracious hosts, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I slid into Edward's embrace as soon as we entered, and he came forward to greet John.

"Well, we'll miss you," Edward said sincerely, as he extended his hand in greeting to John.

John shook his hand and gave Edward a small smile, "Thanks," he said, looking down quickly.

I felt Edward stiffen next to me, and I cursed Edward's ability for the hundredth time. Luckily, Carlisle and Esme had ushered John to a sofa in their living room, and were conversing quite easily with him.

"Bella…" Edward started.

"Can't this wait?" I pleaded. "John will be leaving soon, so let's just enjoy the afternoon, okay?"

Edward gave a low growl, but he didn't argue. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, too quickly, and my tension mounted. I knew Edward hadn't forgotten, and as soon as John was gone, he would demand an explanation. The only bright spot was when Alice came up to me, right before John left, and whispered, "It'll be all right, Bella." She didn't specify what she was talking about, but it was enough to calm my nerves.

I was really sad to see John go, and I gave him a hug as he stood at the door, "Don't wait another ten years," I said pointedly.

John hugged me back, and said with a sad smile, "I won't Bella, I promise."

John shook hands with all the male Cullens, then stood awkwardly for a moment. Understanding, Esme reached out to hug John goodbye, followed enthusiastically by Alice. Finally, Rosalie gave John a warm hug goodbye, until Emmett started growling. Then she let go of John with a wink.

"Take care of Bella," John said, as he left.

The Cullens slowly drifted away from the door, and Edward began pulling me toward the stairs. But Alice was there at the bottom of the stairs, blocking our way. "Listen, Edward, it's obvious that Bella is upset with John's leaving. I think she needs some shopping therapy."

Edward ignored her, and tried to dodge past her, but Alice wasn't having it. Edward said in frustration, "Alice, I'm not going to let you do this."

Rosalie stepped in beside Alice, draped her arm around her, and said smoothly, "Do what, Edward? Alice just wants to take Bella shopping. Cheer her up. I think it's a fantastic idea."

Edward snorted, and once again tried to get past Alice and Rosalie without success.

Then Emmett and Jasper came up behind us. Jasper clapped Edward on the shoulder, and said, "Come on, Edward. Let the girls have their fun. It'll give us a chance to have a quick hunt. I hear there have been some mountain lion sightings recently."

"Yeah," Emmett added, "John's attempts to keep up with us were amusing, but now that he's gone, it's definitely time to have another hunt."

Edward looked around at all his brothers and sisters, who were looking back at us with knowing smiles. He was cornered, his hand tightened around mine, and his eyes showed that he didn't like it one bit.

Alice stepped forward gracefully, and pulled my hand from Edward's, "We'll take good care of her, I promise."

Edward just gave her a curt nod, and walked away with Emmett and Jasper without saying a word.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea, guys," I started.

"Don't be silly, Bella," said Rosalie, grabbing my other hand and leading us toward the garage, "This is the best idea we've had in a long time."

About two minutes later, we were at the mall. Rosalie and Alice managed to unglue me from my seat, and we started shopping. Or rather Alice and Rosalie began handing me ridiculously overpriced garments which they felt would be best for me. Since they were always annoyingly right, I zoned out and turned my thoughts to Edward. It was pretty obvious what everyone was thinking, and Edward's reaction to it all had my stomach tied up in knots. Plus, I wasn't sure how I felt about all these perfect, beautiful people knowing the details of what went on with me and Edward. All in all, I was feeling pretty miserable. Alice noticed my total lack of enthusiasm for the shopping, and decided I must need food.

Grateful for the break, I sat down to sip my Coke. I looked up to see Alice and Rosalie smiling at me.

"Look guys, it's really nice of you to do all this for me. I feel much better about John's leaving." I said, using the same excuse they gave Edward for taking me shopping.

Alice giggled, "This isn't about John, and you know it Bella. This about you and Edward having some quality time together – and the hand-cuffs, of course."

I groaned. How was it that everyone always knew everything? "I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, John and Edward both thought it was a very, very bad idea."

Rosalie snorted, and of course, even her snorts were perfect, "Listen, sweetie, John thinks of you as his sister – so of course he's not going to like thinking about you in any type of sexual way. As for Edward, he's a man. And sometimes, as women, we just need to lead our men in the right direction."

Alice giggled, "You should listen to her Bella. Rosalie knows what she's talking about when it comes to men."

"Speaking of men, Rosalie, you aren't seriously interested in John are you? I mean, you're with Emmett, and he has Sarah…but all the flirting?" I asked.

Alice began to giggle in earnest, but Rosalie just said regally, "Of course not, Bella. It's just nice to be able to use my powers once in a while. I don't often get the chance, given the way we live."

"What, your stubbornness?" I asked confused.

At that Alice had a full blown fit of hysterics, and people began to stare. Quickly, she stifled her laughter. Rosalie, on the other hand, did not seem at all amused, "Edward told you that the characteristic I carried into our world was _stubbornness_?" she asked in a dangerously soft voice.

I froze, realizing I had made a major mistake. Luckily, Alice came to my rescue, "I think Edward was just trying keep Bella from worrying too much about you. You didn't exactly take to her in the beginning, remember. If he told her that your power was to drive men crazy, how do think she would take it, knowing that you lived everyday with him?"

"I don't think of Edward that way – he's my brother," Rosalie scoffed.

"I think she gets that now, but she didn't know that in the beginning," Alice said soothingly.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie," I said contritely. Rosalie stared at me, and I guess she must have forgiven me, because her face broke out in a dazzling grin, her white teeth flashing.

"Don't worry about it Bella. I know just how to pay Edward back," she said with an evil grin.

Alice giggled, and the two of them scooped me up and threw the rest of my food into the garbage, before heading back toward the stores. _Oh, no,_ I thought.

It was a nightmare. If I thought shopping with Alice was tough, shopping with Rosalie when she was on a mission was definitely worse. She selected items with the precision of an army general, and when we finally turned toward the lingerie store, I was more than a little scared of what was coming. But when Alice tried to lead us toward the lacy, frilly nothings, Rosalie put her foot down.

"No," she said, "what will drive Edward crazy is _that_." She pointed to a gorgeous, slinky blue satin nightgown, the kind that made me think of old Hollywood glamour. I loved it at first sight.

"Yes," I agreed.

After we had stowed all our bags in the car, Rosalie started off. But I noticed she was heading the wrong way. "Aren't we going home?" I asked.

Alice and Rosalie gave each other knowing looks. Alice said, "No, Bella. You and Edward need some time alone. We're taking you to a cabin not far from here that we sometimes use when we want to get away from the family."

"Oh," I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I was starting to get nervous again.

The cabin was beautiful. It was warm and inviting, with a huge fireplace in the middle of the living room. The girls quickly dragged me into the bedroom along with all our shopping, where a massive four poster bed stood in the middle of the room. And on top of the bed was a pair of thick, metal manacles. I looked at them in shock.

Rosalie came up behind me, "You didn't think a simple pair of handcuffs would hold Edward, did you? We had those special ordered just for you."

I gulped. What had I been thinking? But before I had the chance to bolt for the door, Alice and Rosalie herded me into the bathroom and started in on their make-over. I felt like a doll in their strong, cold hands. Finally, Rosalie decided that it would be best if I just wore the nightgown and they left me to change.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, Alice and Rosalie took in my appearance. They both smiled at me warmly and came over to hug me. Alice whispered, "You're beautiful Bella. Truly, you are."

Rosalie offered a few words of wisdom, "Now be careful of kissing Edward too deeply in the mouth – that's where the venom is. It won't change you or anything unless it gets in your blood, but it might cause you to pass out and that would kind of ruin the mood."

"O..okay," I stammered.

"And Bella," Alice warned, "when Edward asks you to stop, _you must stop_." She waited for my reaction, and I nodded my understanding, knowing it must be from her vision. She kissed me lightly on the cheek with her cold lips, and they were gone.

I paced around the cabin, unsure what to do with myself. Before I knew it, I heard a car outside. My stomach was doing flip-flops and I was grateful that I hadn't eaten much today. I was sure that if I had, I would be embarrassingly sick right now. I wasn't sure whether I should head out to the living room, but then I heard the door open. I stood frozen by the side of the bed.

"Bella?" Edward called softly, as he pushed the bedroom door open. He saw me and froze. He stared at me, fire burning in his beautiful, butterscotch eyes. That look warmed me and gave me confidence.

"Hello, Edward. I missed you," I whispered, knowing he could hear me perfectly. We stood there for an eternity, drinking in the sight of one another. Edward was wearing a crisp tan button down shirt, open at the collar to expose the tantalizing white marble skin of his neck.

"Bella, you are exquisite," Edward said softly in a deep velvety growl.

Color flooded to my cheeks. I couldn't take it any longer and I flung myself into his strong, cold embrace. The scent of him filled my nostrils, and I drank in his sweet aroma. Edward's arms tightened around me. I looked into his face, and my heart beat faster at the look in his eyes.

"Bella, Bella," he said, his eyes smoldering, his voice a low growl, "do you have any idea of how deliciously tempting you look? All along, I knew what the others were planning, and I resented their interference. I knew they only wanted us to be happy, but it wasn't _their_ right. Then when I came through the door and saw you…so perfect…so beautiful…you cannot imagine how I feel, my desire for you, my love for you… I need you so _much!_"

"Edward," I said breathless, "I love you, I will always love you."

"Bella," he whispered, touching my lips with his hard, cold ones. Heat surged through my body and I clutched his neck, but when I felt Edward stiffen, I reluctantly pulled back. I stood still for a moment, then dropped my eyes to his beautiful neck. Slowly, as if with a mind of their own, my fingers found the buttons of his shirt, and began undoing them, one by one. Slowly, I slid the shirt off his white, marble chest, letting my fingers stroke his taut muscles.

"Bella," he growled again, and I looked back into his eyes. Then suddenly, my fear vanished, and I knew that this was what I wanted. Edward and I belonged together, and finally, we were going to have that chance. I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him toward the bed. I pushed him down, and he grabbed me so that I fell on top of him. I laughed with pleasure, and reached out to grab the manacles. Then I turned toward Edward.

With a serious look on his face, Edward said, "Bella, _stop_."


	7. Chapter 7

_Wow! This chapter was hard to write, but I hope you like it._

_This story is based on the amazing Twilight by Stephenie Meyer._

_Remember, A Friend Is Like A Good Bra -- Hard to Find, Supportive, Comfortable, And Always Close To Your Heart! (I stole that – but from the internet, so I can't give credit. But so, so true!) Thanks to all for the reviews, suggestions and comments – I appreciate them all!_

I froze. No, no, no! Surely, this couldn't be the moment Alice warned me about! I started to pull away from Edward, but he wouldn't let me go. Gently, he took the manacles from my hands, and lifted me into a sitting position beside him as if I were as light as a feather. I hung my head, my face scarlet, unwilling to look at Edward. _This can't be happening_, I thought.

"Bella, look at me," Edward said softly. I refused, humiliation still coursing through my veins.

"_Bella_," Edward said again, cajoling, but I just turned my head away.

At that, Edward laughed softly, and whispered in my ear, "Silly, Bella, look at me…._pretty please_?"

I turned unwillingly to look at him, unable to refuse, and I saw his love and desire for me reflected clearly in his eyes. I stared at him in confusion.

"Bella, I didn't ask you to stop because I don't want you. On the contrary, I want you far, far too much. Just not like this," he said lifting the manacles, then just as quickly tossing them across the room.

"But I thought that was the whole point," I said miserably. "The reason you went hunting, the shopping, everything. So that we could be together without you having to be…_so in control_ all the time."

"No, Bella, the reason I went along with all this was because I realized that we really need to have a talk about us."

"A talk, huh?" I asked, not sure if I liked where this heading.

Edward sighed, and pulled me into his arms, "Yes, Bella. I agreed with my family's crazy schemes today because I knew we needed to have a serious talk about our relationship. But when I walked in and saw you standing by the bed in this nightgown, so lovely and innocent, with that look in your eyes, it was like my deepest fantasy come true. I will never forget how perfect you looked at that moment. I still haven't recovered," he said as his eyes roamed hungrily over my body.

"_Edward_," I breathed, melting at the look in his eyes.

"Bella," Edward growled, "you need to stop dazzling _me_!"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, not really sorry at all. I leaned deeper into Edward's chest and began tracing patterns on his chest with my fingertips.

Edward slowly stroked his fingers up and down my arm for several long minutes, then said finally, "Bella, do you know that I love how very human you are? Your blushes (at which I blushed), the warmth of your skin on mine, even the way you eat and sleep. Everything about you fascinates me, and makes me love you even more."

"So, if I lost those things, you wouldn't love me anymore?" I asked, hurt, but still trying to understand.

"Of course I'd still love you!" he raked his fingers through his tousled hair. "This isn't going the way I'd planned it, though that shouldn't surprise me any more, since nothing seems to go the way I plan it anymore since I met you."

Edward paused, then went on, "I know you think becoming a vampire is the solution to all our problems, but you don't seem to realize that you're asking me to watch you die. A very horrible, painful death. After which, your can _never_ go back again."

"Edward, I know that..." I started to protest, but Edward put one cold finger to my lips.

"Please, Bella, just let me say this… I wouldn't be the only one to have to watch you die. Your parents would, too. Bella, they love you too, and I know that you love them. Imagine how they would feel, losing their only daughter so young. You would have to watch their pain and grief. And you would begin to regret what you chose, but you couldn't go back and change things. Then, of course, there is the fact that you would be a vampire. Bella, you don't realize what it is to be controlled by your desire for blood, human blood! Yes, you can resist it, but that hunger will be in you, that unnatural hunger, always. I would watch you struggle between your love for me and the sorrow you would feel for your parents, on top of the fact that I would have damned you for an eternity! I would be responsible for that, for _all_ that. Bella, how could I live with myself knowing what I had done to you?" he pleaded for my understanding.

I could see the anguish etched in his perfect face. How I loved that face! I stroked his face, and said softly, "Edward, I know, I _know_. I've thought about the consequences, all the consequences, and for me, it's worth it – _you _are worth it. This is my life and my death we are talking about here, and I've already made my choice. I'm just waiting for you to come to terms with it."

At that moment, my traitorous stomach rumbled. I had never felt that I was as close to getting Edward to see my side of things as I was now, only to be betrayed by my own body. Maybe he didn't hear it, I thought. But no such luck. Edward laughed, his mercurial moods striking again.

"I think someone is hungry."

"No, Edward! I'm fine, really…"

"Bella, Bella," Edward sighed dramatically, "I guess it's my fate to always make sure you are well fed. Now come with me." I gave in, because I sincerely hoped that this was why Alice had let me go through all this. Because she knew that tonight would be the night that Edward finally gave in to me. So I decided I could be patient a little while longer. Edward scooped me up off the bed and carried me to the small table in the kitchen. To my surprise, there were two huge bags on the table.

"All this for me?" I asked surprised.

"I had to make sure I had everything I needed," Edward explained, flashing his dazzling white teeth, pulling a cutting board and knife from one of the bags, "no one else ever cooks here."

I smiled, and rested my chin on my hands as I watched Edward make his way expertly around the small kitchen.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Edward and I glanced at each other in alarm, knowing that the only ones who would disturb us here would be his family. And that meant trouble. Edward crossed quickly to the door and opened it, and sure enough it was Alice and Jasper. I went to stand over by Edward, and he put his arm around me protectively.

Alice and Edward were just staring at each other, so Jasper said to me, "Alice had a vision that John came back to our house. All the others are gathered there to wait for him. But don't worry, Bella, everything will be fine." He said the last bit in his most persuasive voice. Against my will, I felt my tension lessen.

"Jasper," I said warningly.

Edward turned to me and said, "Why don't you go get changed, Bella? Then I'll drop you off at home."

"Not a chance, Edward! I'm coming with you!" Edward just sighed, resigned, and pushed me toward the bedroom. I changed as fast as I could, and rushed back to see Edward, Jasper and Alice waiting for me. Edward had put his shirt back on, and somehow managed to whip up a sandwich and Coke while I was gone, and had set it on the table for me.

"Eat," he ordered.

"Edward," I said, exasperated.

"You're going to need your energy," he insisted.

I shot him a dirty look, but sat down to eat. These vampires were obsessed with my eating habits! I scarfed down the sandwich and Coke as quickly as I could, then, with my mouth still full from the last bite, said, "Okay, let's go."

They all smiled, but no one argued.

For a change, I didn't mind the ridiculous speed with which Edward drove. I needed to know what was going on. When we finally got to the house, Edward's family had gathered in the living room, with John pacing back and forth like a caged animal. A tall, slim dark haired girl sat tensely in the corner next to Esme, and my first thought was, _could that be Sarah_? But then the young woman turned, and I recognized her immediately.

"Rachel!" I cried, surprised but pleased at the same time.

She smiled, a look of relief spreading over her pretty features, and came over to give me a hug. "Bella, it's so nice to see you again. I've wanted to come visit you since I came home from school, but I just haven't gotten the chance."

"It's great to see you, too. But what are you doing here? I thought your family didn't approve of the Cullens?"

Rachel shifted uncomfortably my bluntness, and I regretted speaking so hastily. Then she said, "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen have been very gracious hosts, more than I had the right to expect from them. But actually, I'm here in my capacity as a member of the Council, with John."

"You're a member of the Council?" I asked, shocked.

Rachel laughed at my surprise, "Yes, I was the one in the family with the most aptitude for working with werewolves, much to my father's horror. I think he always wished it would be Jacob."

She shot a worried glance at John. At that, I turned to face him too. I gasped. Gone was the strong, self-assured John I had seen just a few hours before – he looked utterly crushed. Fear and anger warred in his eyes, along with a look of hopelessness.

I went to him and touched his shoulder, "John?"

He said in a choked voice, "They have Sarah."

"Who?"I asked, a knot of fear rising in my stomach. Edward was immediately at my side, his cold hand in mine.

"Murdoch," Rachel answered, "and Flint."

At the sound of the name Flint, John growled with rage, his fists clenched, clearly looking for something to smash. Esme walked over to John, her compassion for him clear, and led him gently to one of the sofas.

"Maybe you should tell us the whole story," Carlisle said calmly.

Rachel went to join John, and putting a hand on his shoulder, began, "Murdoch is a rogue werewolf that has been a problem for the Council for years. He is one of the strongest, wildest werewolves out there, and started his own pack several years back. He and his pack take what they want and don't care about the consequences. They're a menace. We've managed to capture various members of his pack, but never Murdoch himself. He's proven himself to be very cunning, as well. He's the one that was behind the break-in at the lab last week." Then turning to look sadly at John, she added, "And we just found out that today he went to the testing facility, took all the experiments, then destroyed everything."

"It sounds like you have a serious security problem," Emmett observed mockingly.

John shot him a look of anger, "Flint betrayed us. The lab was one thing – only finished serums were stored there, like a pharmacy. But Murdoch and his gang never could have gotten into the testing facility if Dr. Flint hadn't been working with them. The security there is...or _was_…tighter than Fort Knox. It was impenetrable. Only someone with the highest level security clearance could have done what was done tonight – and that someone was that bastard Flint!"

"So if Murdoch and Flint are working together," contemplated Carlisle, "Then I assume they might come here after Bella?"

"That's what we think," Rachel agreed. "We think that Flint came to us for our intelligence on vampire activity, as a way to find humans suitable for his experiments. I think he had hoped that the Council would be able to bring him Bella, as well, but since we haven't, he has decided that he can get her on his own and doesn't need us anymore."

"Do you have any idea of how much time we have?" Edward asked, his calm voice in stark contrast to the rage I saw simmering in his eyes.

"It's just a guess, but we think they'll probably wait until the full moon – three days," answered Rachel.

"So the stories about werewolves and the full moon are true?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

John smiled at me wryly, his eyes bleak, "We don't suddenly sprout unsightly body hair, if that's what you're asking. But yes, the moon quickens our blood, and sharpens all our senses – our hearing, our sight and our sense of smell. We're at our strongest then. But…" he hesitated, "…it's also when our animal instincts take over. We are driven by our need to hunt, and nothing else matters to us then. It doesn't matter who or what we hunt, as long as we are out with the pack. Actually, that's what drove the Council to trust Dr. Flint in the first place. The first serum he proposed to create was one for maintaining control during the full moon. It's been a dream of all werewolves for centuries – the ability to make sure we don't hurt our loved ones when we are at our most…animalistic. And he was willing to test the serum on himself first."

"Flint's a werewolf?" Jasper asked, taken aback.

"Yes," sighed Rachel. "He really played us. By having Murdoch break into the lab first, he was able to ensure that we would be at our most vulnerable. Then, when he took everything from the testing facility, Murdoch's gang made mince meat out of the guards stationed there."

"How did Sarah get involved in this?" I asked timidly, not wanting to distress John further but needing to know the whole story.

"Sarah worked with Dr. Flint," John croaked, looking up miserably from where he was sitting, "When she found out someone was doing genetic testing to enhance the abilities of werewolves, she decided that there might be a way to reverse the process altogether – for werewolves to be human once more. So she applied for a job with Dr. Flint, _to help me!_"

"John, it's not your fault," Rachel said emphatically. "We'll get Sarah back."

"But I can't do _anything_!" John cried in anguish. "If we wait until the full moon, I'll be just as likely to kill her as save her without the serum!"

"We'll use the whistles, John," Rachel said soothingly.

"Whistles?" Emmett asked, perplexed.

Rachel explained, "In the past, the pack leader was always human. Since vampires needed to be ah…" she paused nervously, glancing around the room, "…burned to be completely destroyed, humans had always gone with werewolves to ensure the job was complete. Since werewolves are very sensitive sound, the human pack leaders used whistles to command their werewolf brothers. Until the serum was introduced, that is."

"But they haven't been used for years!" John added, tormented, "When we used them, we would drill for hours to make sure we would respond properly. But we don't have time for that now!"

Edward pulled me close, his marble arms encircling me protectively. I knew John's anguish was mimicking many of his own fears.

"Do you see anything Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"I've been trying," Alice said, frustrated, "but I can't see anything coming for Bella, not yet." She turned toward John sympathetically, "I can see Sarah, though. She's okay, John. She's in a dark room with four other people."

"Why don't you see if you can do anything to find that place, Alice?" Carlisle suggested, and Alice rose, followed closely by Jasper. Then Carlisle turned once more to Rachel and asked, "Who are the four other people?"

"They are the test subjects," Rachel replied. "There are four serums – one for control during the full moon, one to help fight vampire magnetism, one to protect the mind, and one that will mask scent."

Emmett guffawed at the last one, "So you found the least smelly human being ever?"

Rachel smiled uneasily at him, "Actually, I believe he has amazingly underdeveloped sweat glands."

"As interesting as this conversation is," Edward said in a dangerously light tone, "don't you think we should concentrate on how to protect Bella now?"

"Y...yes, of course," Rachel said, faltering at the look of fury flashing in Edward's eyes, "And I think I may be able to help there. John and I convinced my father to take Charlie ice fishing in Alaska for the next week to keep him safe, and to suggest that Bella stay here with all of you."

"You convinced Billy to do _what_?" I said in utter shock.

"Well, for a moment, I thought my father would have a heart attack. But John and I managed to convince him that it was the only way to keep you and Charlie safe, until we could our hands on Murdoch and Flint. My father wouldn't be able to live with himself if he could have done something to keep either you or Charlie from getting hurt and didn't do it. So he agreed."

Edward nodded his agreement for the plan. "If Billy suggests Bella stay here, that should convince Charlie. Do you have any idea of how many are in Murdoch's pack?"

"25," Rachel answered promptly.

"You seem quite sure of yourself," Carlisle noted.

Rachel shot a sidelong glance at John, then said, "The only reason we can be so sure is because Sarah managed to call John on his cell phone as he was leaving today. She had her speaker on mute so we could hear her, but they couldn't hear us. We heard the whole takeover from her phone. She actually taunted Flint to make sure we found out as many details as possible." Then she added for John, "She was amazing."

I was horrified. I couldn't imagine what John must have gone through, what he still must be going through. Edward squeezed me harder, and I leaned into his embrace, needing his strength.

Carlisle asked gently, "Was she able to tell you anything about her whereabouts?"

John said hoarsely, "We were able to pick up the signal from her phone as they took her. It died somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley about an hour ago. That is where we hope to pick up the trail to Murdoch's gang, and members of our pack should be there soon. If we have any luck left, maybe we will be able to find them before the full moon."

"That's where we'll head, after we leave here," Rachel added.

Carlisle nodded, "Emmett, why don't you and Rosalie go with them to see if you can help with the search."

Rachel looked up with alarm, "Dr. Cullen…that's a very generous offer, and I appreciate it greatly…but I don't think it's such a good idea. The other members of the pack…I don't think they will be, that is to say…"

Carlisle smiled sardonically, "That's alright, Rachel, I understand. But the offer still stands. We will stay here and protect Bella."

At that, he stood, with Rachel and John following suit. I slipped from Edward's arms, and went over to them. I gave Rachel a quick hug, then turned to John.

"She'll be alright," I said, praying that I was right. John nodded, and I threw my arms around his neck.

After a few minutes, Edward slowly pulled me away. John looked up and nodded to Edward, and then he and Rachel were gone.


	8. Chapter 8

_Okay, okay, one more horribly cliffhangery chapter that will hopefully explain where I'm trying to go with all this. Again, thanks to all who read and reviewed, and I hope you continue enjoying the story._

_This story is based on the amazing Twilight by Stephenie Meyer._

After John and Rachel left, I turned to Edward and demanded, "Surely, you can see that there is another solution to this problem."

"Bella…" Edward started.

I cut him off, "No, Edward. This time you need to listen to _me_. I can't keep doing this. Your determination to keep me human just keeps bringing danger to you and your family – first with James, then the Council, and now with Murdoch. And it's no guarantee that I won't die some horribly ordinary way anyway – hit by a bus or something."

"The girl definitely has a point there," Emmett observed dryly.

I shot him a quelling look, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. I turned my attention back to Edward. I took his two perfect, icy hands in mine, "This is the perfect time, Edward. Charlie will be gone for a week, and Murdoch shouldn't be here for another three days. By that time, if John is right, I should be virtually indestructible. I know all the reasons you have for being against this, but there isn't time to fight about it any more. We need to do this _now_."

I could see the indecision still firmly etched in Edward's beautiful features. I wanted to scream. How could he be so stubborn? Didn't he see that this was the only way?

Esme came to stand beside us, and placed her cold hand on top of ours. She said gently, "Edward, my sweet, lovely boy. You have been alone for so long, and although we worried for you, you seemed to be content, so that was enough for us. Then you met Bella. We all watched you struggle _so_ much in your relationship with her. And we've tried to stay out of it because we knew this needed to be your decision. But Edward, love, _true love_, can never be a curse, only a gift." She turned to look at Carlisle, her love for him shining clearly in her face, "I'm thankful everyday to be with Carlisle, as is Alice and Jasper, and Emmett and Rosalie. As Bella will be, when she is finally with you forever."

During her speech, Alice and Jasper had silently come back into the room. Edward turned to look around at the faces of his family. They were all silent, supportive, and I squeezed Edward's hands, hoping that this time, their thoughts would be able to convince Edward once and for all.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Edward looked back into my eyes. His eyes were filled with love. My breath hitched, I knew I would be staring into those eyes for an eternity.

"Carlisle?" Edward asked softly.

"Of course," Carlisle agreed immediately, coming over to stand next to Esme. "But now we must let Bella go home to have some time to say good-bye to Charlie."

"You're sure, Bella?" Edward asked gently.

"I'm positive," I said firmly. Joy spread through every fiber of my being.

"I'll take her back home to get her things," Alice offered. "That should make it easier for Charlie."

Edward nodded his agreement. Then slowly, gently, he pressed his cold lips to mine. I struggled to contain the fire that instantly sprang to life at his touch, and kept my hands firmly locked on his so that I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of his whole family. Edward pulled back, and I could see the passion and the suppressed laughter in his eyes, as he knowingly sensed my predicament.

"I'll be waiting," he said, as he reluctantly let go of my hands.

I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I turned and walked toward Alice, who thankfully didn't say anything as we made our way to her car.

As we pulled into my driveway, Alice asked, "Do you want me to come in with you?"

I shook my head, "I think I'd like some time alone with Charlie. I can drive my truck back to the house."

Alice hesitated, "I don't think that's such a good idea, Bella. I can't see where those werewolves are, and that makes me nervous. If you want time alone with Charlie, I can just wait out here in the car."

"You heard Rachel and John – they'll probably wait for the full moon. Besides, John said they had been tracked to the Shenandoah Valley, and that's on the other side of the country. I should be safe for now. Besides, I really owe Charlie at least this much."

While Alice was still trying to decide if she should let me go, I gave her a quick peck on her cold cheek, got out of the car, and waved goodbye. She started her car and was gone an instant later.

I took a deep breath and opened the door to the house. Charlie was in the living room, his fishing gear spread out everywhere. He looked up, smiling guiltily as he saw me.

"Bells! I'm glad you're home," he said.

"What's up, Dad?" I asked, suddenly unsure of what to say. Charlie had been really good to me since I moved to Forks and I needed to let him know how much he meant to me.

"Billy invited me ice fishing in Alaska for the week," he said, pausing uncertainly, "would you like to come?"

I laughed at his unexpected request, "Me, ice fishing?"

Charlie grinned sheepishly, "I know it's not your thing, but you haven't had a vacation since you've been here, and I feel bad about that."

"Dad, I don't mind, honestly. I've grown accustomed to Forks, and I'll be fine here while you go on your trip."

"Well, I really would feel better if you weren't alone," he said. Then with a note of disbelief in his voice, added, "Billy suggested that you might like to stay with the Cullens."

"He did?" I asked quickly, afraid my voice might betray me.

"Yes. What do you think of the idea?" He asked, staring at me as if trying to read my thoughts.

"Well, if you're okay with it, I think it would be fine," I said cautiously.

He stared at me for awhile, as if trying to figure out what was going on. Before he had a chance to think about it any further, I asked, "So when will you be leaving?"

"Actually, Billy wanted to start as soon as possible. I'm sorry that it's such short notice – Do you think the Cullens will mind?"

"Of course not," I answered honestly. My answer must have satisfied him, as he turned back to look at his fishing things. I said, "I'll just go upstairs and pack a few things."

Impulsively, I went over to Charlie and hugged him. I felt him tense in surprise, before returning my embrace.

"I love you, Dad," I said sincerely, looking into his face.

He kissed the tip of my nose, "I love you too, Bells."

I smiled at him, then headed upstairs to get my things. I opened the door to my room and stepped in, switching on the light. I froze.

Standing in front of me was a hulk of a man, his sheer size filling my line of vision. Dressed in an impeccable Italian suit, he was the picture of European sophistication, if it wasn't for the cruelty evident in every line of his brutish features. In a flash, he was behind me, silently shutting and locking the door.

Then, grinning evilly with a set of entirely too large, shiny white teeth, he said in a genteel British accent, "Hello, Bella, it's so nice to finally meet you. My name is Cyrus Murdoch."


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm so sorry for the delay – I was out of town without an internet connection! But I'm back and ready to get on with the story, so I hope you will be able to forgive me._

_The characters are from Twilight by Stephenie Meyers, though I pulled a few names from Harry Potter – not the characters – just the names, I was having a little trouble coming up with ones I liked._

_Thank you all for sticking with the story, and again, sorry for the delay!_

No, no…NO! Of all the horrible, no-good, rotten luck! This couldn't be happening – Murdoch, here, now – after Edward had finally agreed. I couldn't believe it. I felt the tears rise with my anger at the unfairness of it all.

Murdoch came to wipe a tear off my cheek as I stood rigid with anger, "Dearest Bella, there is no need to be sad. I know you had your heart set on becoming a vampire tonight…"

I pulled away and gaped at him in shock. How could he possibly know?

Murdoch chuckled at my reaction, flashing his too large teeth, "Yes, Bella, I do know _all_ about your plans. You see, your little friends aren't the only ones with…_what shall we call them?..._gifts. Though why such a sweet, young lady would do something so foolish - well, I guess we must chalk it up to young love. _C'est la vie_. But I must say, it was very fortuitous of you to send Alice away like that. Although she looked to be a delectably frisky little morsel, I would have hated to ruin my new suit. Armani, you see."

I knew he wouldn't kill me – they needed me alive and human. So I crossed my arms, gave him my best withering glance, and said, "You were obviously ripped off."

This time, Murdoch's chuckle was laced with a not-so-subtle menace, "Cheeky, aren't we? Well, if you want your father and his little friends to survive the night, you will keep your little comments to yourself and say goodbye to him like the good little girl you are. Otherwise, I will rip them apart – _literally_."

As if on cue, I heard Billy's car pulling into our driveway. As I turned, Murdoch grabbed my arm and warned, "Remember Bella, I will be _watching_."

"Hey, Bells! Billy's here!" Charlie called.

I tore my arm away from Murdoch's grasp, took a deep breathe, and headed downstairs. While I was gone, Charlie had managed to get all his fishing gear packed away, and now Jacob was taking it all to the car. I gave him a wan smile and a wave in greeting, and he smiled in return as he headed out the door with the bags. I wondered if he knew why Billy was really taking Charlie on this trip. Then I wondered if he would believe me if I told him I had a werewolf waiting to kidnap me upstairs in my room.

"So everything all set?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm as I could.

"Yup, we're just about ready to go. I'm going to miss you Bells," Charlie said, putting an arm awkwardly around my shoulder.

I couldn't help it - I gave him another tight hug. As if all this sudden hugging was getting him thinking, Charlie asked, "Bells, are you going to be okay?"

"Sure Dad," I said with a fake smile, "I talked to Alice, and everything's all set."

Charlie still seemed unsure, and suddenly, I felt that I had to try and warn them even if Murdoch was listening. So I turned to Billy and said, "Billy I can't thank you enough for all your _help_," emphasizing the last word.

Billy and Charlie both looked at each other, then Charlie said cautiously, "Help?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, stalling and trying to think of something plausible, "It's been a real _help_ having familiar faces like Billy and his family around while I settled in here at Forks."

"Well…we're happy you're here," Billy said uncertainly.

But then Jacob came in and said, "We're ready to go. See you later Bella."

"Bye, Jacob," I said automatically. He smiled and headed back outside. Charlie and Billy stood there, looking at me as if unsure what to do next. Clearly, they didn't understand what I was trying to say. I was frustrated, I wanted to shout at them, tell them what was going on, but I had no doubt that Murdoch had meant every word of his threat. If I said anything, Charlie, Billy and Jacob would be killed, and Murdoch would still take me away. So, knowing that Murdoch was lurking around somewhere, I said quickly, "Dad, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. It's only a week. Go and have a good time."

"Are you sure? You know, I can always go another time –"

"No, Dad," I said, cutting him off, "you've been working really hard lately, and you need a break. Go and have fun. Bring me back a souvenir."

Charlie smiled at me gratefully. "Will do. Thanks Bells. See you in a week."

And with that, he and Billy were gone, along with any chance I had to warn someone. I wished there was someway to project my thoughts so that just this once Edward could read my thoughts and take care of Murdoch.

I sighed, then stiffened as I heard clapping behind me. I turned to see Murdoch lounging casually in Charlie's chair. He stood and came toward me. "Nicely done, Bella. I was a bit afraid that I was going to have to intervene with your little attempt to get _help_, you cheeky girl. But luckily, your Indian friend didn't understand what you were trying to say. It saved his life - and your father's."

But before I could come up with a sufficiently scathing reply, Murdoch's beefy fist made contact with my skull, and everything went dark.

The next thing I knew, I was being slapped lightly across the face. I kept my eyes firmly shut, my head was throbbing, and I was afraid that opening my eyes would only cause the sensation to worsen. But the slapping persisted, even as I swatted the offending hand away.

"Bella…Bella," called a soft, soothing voice. The voice was melodic, reassuring. Slowly, I opened one eye, then the other, to look up at the girl calling my name. I looked into a pair of intelligent brown eyes framed by dark cat-shaped glasses, in a cute heart shaped face. Which, I noticed, was framed by a shock of spiky magenta hair.

The girl smiled, "Hey, there. Glad to have you back with us, Bella. I'm Sarah."

"Sarah…" I croaked, trying to sit up. I regretted it immediately – my head felt like it would explode. Sarah quickly leaned down to lend a hand of support as she lowered me back down. I realized I was lying on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed – one of three in the sparsely furnished room. Behind her I saw the four curious faces of three men and one woman.

Sarah saw where my gaze went, and said, "Bella, let me introduce you to Fred, George, Ron and Ginny," she said pointing to each of our fellow cellmates in turn. They all smiled and waved in a friendly way, and I smiled back weakly.

"Boy, are we glad _you're_ here," said Fred, or George, I couldn't remember which was which.

"You are?" I asked, confused. I tried to sit up again, and this time Sarah was ready for me and propped up a pillow behind my back. I smiled at her gratefully, and leaned into the pillow. I needed to find out more about what was going on, despite my throbbing head.

"Sure," said Ron, "you're supposed to be the indestructible one, right? With you around, we should be able to come up with some kind of escape plan. Maybe if we can all arrange to be in the lab at the same time, you can make a break for it, while we create a diversion."

"Me? Part of an escape plan?" I asked, panicking, "I'm_ really_ not good at that kind of thing. I'm not sure what you've heard, but I think you need to know that I'm not athletic inclined - _at all_."

"Really?" asked Ginny uncertainly.

I turned to Sarah and said pleadingly, "Surely John must have told you that I'm…I'm… not very coordinated."

Sarah looked at me and said, "He did mention it, but I thought he was just trying to keep me from being jealous. You can't imagine, when he found out about the Council's decision to use you, it was Bella this, and Bella that, until I told him to shut up. So when he said that you were a bit…clumsy, I thought he was just trying to, I don't know, make things easier for me. I guess he wasn't."

Then she smiled and reached for my hand. She looked at the others and said, "There must be some other way - we just have to figure out what it is."

I squeezed her hand gratefully, and asked, "Do you guys have any idea where we are? Are we close to Shenandoah Valley?"

"Shenandoah Valley?" repeated Sarah, confused. She and the others exchanged nervous glances, as if Murdoch's blow had caused me brain damage or something.

"Well, yes," I said, "John and Rachel were able to trace your cell phone to the Shenandoah Valley. That's where they were going to start their search."

"Oh, that's just perfect!" exclaimed George (or Fred).

Sarah looked at me sadly, "Bella, we're in Jacksonville."

"Jacksonville?" I asked, horrified at the implication.

"Yes," confirmed Sarah, "Murdoch and Flint wanted to insure your cooperation, so they moved us here. They told us your mother lives here. I'm sorry, Bella. But I'm sure they won't hurt them or anything – they want you to cooperate, and that means everyone stays alive and healthy. Murdoch and Flint'll probably come here shortly to rub it in before they take you to the lab to get your blood."

"Blood?" I blanched, my face draining of color.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Sarah asked, concerned by my sudden pallor.

"It's just that I don't do well with blood," I admitted.

"Ah," she said, nodding in understanding, "the sight of blood does that to some people."

"Actually," I corrected, "It's the smell of blood – it makes me sick, to the point that I usually pass out."

"People can't smell blood," Sarah protested.

"Yes, I've heard that before. But I promise you that I can, and it does make me sick."

Sarah looked at me thoughtfully. It was as if I could see the wheels turn in her head, "What?" I asked.

"Well," she said, "being able to smell blood is a pretty unique characteristic. And though it might be useful if you were a vampire, it wouldn't really do a werewolf much good. If I can somehow manage to isolate that trait rather than your ability to heal quickly, that may buy us some time. Flint has been getting careless lately – letting me do all the work. In fact, since we've been here, Flint has only been checking the magnification results. And since we're under a time crunch, maybe he won't notice until it's too late."

"But surely he'll check with Bella's blood!" protested Ron.

"Do you have a better idea?" retorted Sarah.

"Wait a minute. Could you please give me a chance to catch up here? First, what 'time crunch' are you talking about?"

"Well," Sarah explained, "the full moon is in two days. We think that's when Murdoch and Flint will try to attack the Council itself. The serum takes 3 days to make – the first 24 hours goes into purifying the vampire venom, which should be ready in about" she looked at her watch, "three hours or so. Then they'll need to combine it with the isolated trait from your blood. That part takes a few hours, so they should come and get us soon. Then the remaining 48 hours is necessary to let the venom mix with the blood to reach its full potential. And actually," she said, turning to Ron, "if I play my cards right, even if Flint does check the isolate from Bella's blood, it will be too late for him to do anything about it before this coming full moon."

Ron grunted in reply, clearly not as impressed as I was. Sarah's plan seemed to make sense to me, and if it could at least take some advantage away from Murdoch, I was all for it. Except for the part about using my blood, which brought me back to my next question.

"What did you mean, it's a good trait if you're a vampire?" I asked Sarah.

She seemed surprised by my question, but answered, "Well if you were able to smell blood as a human, then I would imagine as a vampire, that sense would be heightened a hundred fold or more. And from what I've been told, vampires are particularly sensitive to blood's smell, so you could tell the subtle differences in human blood, which would make you a very determined hunter indeed. Think of it like…like…a wine connoisseur – someone able to tell the subtle differences in wine simply from its smell, and so is naturally drawn to the finest wines."

"Or like a heroin addict?" I whispered, thinking about what Edward had once told me.

"I suppose a drug addict could tell the differences in the quality of the drugs they were taking," she said skeptically. She paused, as if unsure what to say next, then said in a rush, "I don't mean to pry or judge or anything, but are you using? I need to know, because that could really mess up my results."

"No, no," I assured her, "I was just thinking about something someone said to me once."

"Oh."

"Sarah," I asked tentatively, "is that what would definitely happen? I mean, if someone was sensitive to the smell of blood like me, would it be inevitable that they were more…drawn to human blood than other vampires?"

Understanding dawned on Sarah's face. She said to me gently, "Bella, what we do in the lab is completely unnatural. How can I put it? It's like making a test tube baby – ordering up what sex it is, if it has blue eyes and blond hair, if it's smart or athletic. But in real life, you never know what you're going to get when two people decide to have a baby together – will it have the mother's chin or the father's nose – it's all up to nature. If someone were to become a vampire naturally, I would assume it would be the same way – you would never know what traits would be enhanced, though the strongest traits would most likely be dominant. It would be up to the person to decide if it was worth the risk."

She touched my shoulder gently, and I nodded my understanding. Ron, however, did not seem to approve of where this conversation was going, "Bella, you can't seriously want to be a _vampire_. I know your boyfriend is supposedly one – what is it with you girls? There aren't enough humans that you two would willingly date _freaks_?"

"Why you little…" Sarah said getting up to challenge Ron. But then the door opened and Murdoch came in followed by Flint. Flint was not at all what I expected. He had a chubby, open face and a sincere smile. I could see why the Council trusted him, he looked completely honest and trustworthy, especially next to that thug Murdoch.

"Hello, Bella," he said cheerily, "I've been waiting a long time to meet you. And thanks to Cyrus, you're here now." He finished, looking up at Murdoch with adoring eyes.

Murdoch ignored him and came toward me. I braced myself, but he stopped short of the bed I was on. "Glad to see you're awake. I would hate for you to sleep through your first day here in Jacksonville. We had some of the boys take in one of your step-father's games. He's not very good, but your mother was very supportive of her hubby. I can show you some pictures if you like."

"Leave my mother alone," I said through clenched teeth.

Murdoch chuckled, pleased with my response. "Don't worry, dear. You cooperate and everyone will stay happy and healthy."

"Yes, yes," said Flint, coming up beside Murdoch, stepping in closer than seemed natural, "we don't want anything to happen to your parents at all. We just need a bit of your blood. You'll find that if you cooperate, things will be much easier for you." He looked up at Murdoch, eyes round, like a schoolgirl with a crush.

If Murdoch noticed, he gave no sign. He said, "Sarah will take you to the lab, Bella. If everything goes according to plan, then we may even let you see how your mother is doing yourself." And with that, he and Flint left the room.

"Cripes, that's creepy!" said Ron.

"What, now you're homophobic too?" asked Sarah scathingly.

"No, I just can't see how anyone, male or female, human, werewolf or vampire, could possibly find Murdoch in the least bit attractive," replied Ron dryly .

For once, I agreed with him, but I didn't have the chance to say anything, as once again our door opened and two guards came in to take me and Sarah to the lab. The lab was filled with huge pieces of complicated looking, shiny machines, surrounded by smaller workstations with computers and racks of test tubes. I noticed there were no other doors than the one we came from, and no windows either. I didn't understand how the others had expected me to escape from this room. The guards led us to a work station in the far end of the room, where Sarah quickly sat down and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. She began rummaging through the drawers as the guards pushed me into a chair opposite her. I looked around, but we seemed to be the only four in the room.

"Aren't there any other people working here?" I asked Sarah.

"No," said Sarah shortly, "Murdoch had them all killed."

I shivered. Then I saw that Sarah was preparing three vials, the last of which she had hooked up to a particularly large and ominous looking needle. I gulped. "What exactly are you going to be doing with that?"

Sarah looked up, and smiled at me apologetically. "I know this looks bad, but I'm really very good at this. I will be done before you know it."

My stomach rolled, and I said, "Sarah, I don't think you realize how badly I react…"

But then there came a deafening crash from the left. One of the guards immediately ran back toward the door we came through, while the other one glanced at us, then looked back at the door hopping from one foot to the other as if itching to join the fight. As he was looking at the door, Sarah picked up her computer monitor and with a crash dropped it on the remaining guard's head.

"Let's go!" she yelled, grabbing my hand and heading for the door. I looked back at the guard, but he lay motionless on the floor. Then I looked down at my feet, hoping that they wouldn't betray me now as I clung to Sarah's hand. At the door, she turned left, but I pulled her up short.

"Bella, this is our chance! We need to go now!" she said urgently.

"Not that way – unless you plan to carry me out. I can smell the blood from here."

She looked at me for a second, then quickly turned and went the other way. We ran down the long narrow hallway, then turned left as the hallway came to a T. At the end of the hall, there was an exit, and Sarah let go of my hand as she made a dash for it. I ran after her, but all of a sudden, I tripped and reached for the wall to brace my fall. As I reached, my hand found a fire alarm, and I grabbed it in an attempt to regain my balance. The alarm went off with an earsplitting wail and the sprinklers turned on. I stood there in shock, soaked by the water.

"Bella!" Sarah cried, turning back to get me. But something else had caught my attention. Coming down the hall, his shirt torn open, his body drenched from the water and his murderous rage barely held in check, was Edward.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey all! Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys are awesome, and I really appreciated all your comments! So, here's the next chapter – originally it was shorter, but I kept getting errors when I tried to post it, so I just kept writing. I hope you like it!_

_The characters are from Twilight by Stephenie Meyers, and thanks also to Twilight Lexicon for their in-depth info on the book (boy, was it helpful!). Oh, and a few borrowed characters from Harry Potter, just for fun (minor spoiler in here if you haven't read Half-Blood Prince – I'm warning you now, so don't get mad!)._

"John!" I vaguely heard Sarah shout as she ran past me.

But I only had eyes for Edward. I felt more than heard the deep, enraged growl that came from him. His fury was a palpable thing; I had never seen him looking so capable of brutal violence. His flashing topaz eyes locked on mine and took my breath away. I couldn't move. I could see faint lines across his chest and on his arm where his shirt had been torn open, as if someone had clawed him, but had been unable to penetrate his flesh. His hair was a wild, wet tangle, and there was a drop of blood on the corner of his mouth where the sprinkler had not managed to reach. As if sensing my thoughts, he reached one perfect pale hand to his lips and wiped the offending stain. He was an avenging god, glorious in his untamed beauty.

"Bella," he called, raising a hand to beckon me.

Wordlessly, I moved to comply, my eyes locked with his. As if in a trance, I moved slowly forward to where Edward stood. But before I could reach him, Murdoch launched himself at Edward from behind with a piercing howl.

Edward, focused on me and caught off guard, buckled under Murdoch's weight. Murdoch used his split second advantage to sink his teeth into Edward's left thigh. Edward roared in pain and rage, twisting his entire body to get under Murdoch and toss him off his body. Murdoch landed with a resounding crash, crumbling the drywall around him as he landed. Surprisingly quick for his bulky frame, he was up again and ready to attack Edward. This time, however, it was Edward that had the advantage, blocking Murdoch up against the wall.

Then suddenly, Murdoch glanced in my direction, and his eyes took on an evil glint. I froze. Sensing Murdoch's intention, Edward turned murderous, his roar terrifying. He lunged at Murdoch, pinning him to the floor. Murdoch thrashed in Edward's grip, but he was no match for Edward's strength.

"Bella," Edward hissed, "leave _NOW_!"

"No way, Edward! I'm not leaving you!" I shouted stubbornly, glaring back at him. I knew he only wanted to protect me, and I also suspected that he didn't want me to see him so out of control, but I had come too far to turn back now. Besides, given all the water streaming down the hallway, there was a fairly good chance I would slip and cause myself serious bodily injury anyway. I was definitely staying put.

Edward turned toward me to argue, clearly unwilling to accept my refusal. But before he could say a word, Murdoch used Edward's distraction to twist his face and bite into Edward's right arm. Then he doubled his thrashing and kicking, trying to find a way out of Edward's grip. Edward's growl was deafening, and he seemed to forget I was there. He turned back to attack Murdoch, but in the downpour from the sprinklers, Murdoch managed to slip from his hands. I tried to move back as Murdoch made a leap for me, but of course, I slipped and fell with a thud onto the floor. I scooted away from them as fast as I could, but Murdoch managed to grab my ankle.

That was the last straw for Edward. With a growl I felt down to my bones, Edward launched himself onto Murdoch, turning him around as if he were a rag doll, and in one violent motion, throwing him down onto the floor. Then, with a savage grace, he sank his teeth deep into Murdoch's neck. Murdoch continued to thrash around, fighting with all his strength, but gradually his movements stopped. Edward looked up at me his eyes filled with rage and despair, pleading silently with me for understanding, but all I could see were his perfect lips and beautiful white teeth covered in Murdoch's blood. My eyes widened as I realized what was about to happen. As the smell of blood filled my nostrils, I made an attempt to steady myself against the wall. It wasn't enough – my stomach rolled, my head began spinning, and I slipped the rest of the way onto the floor in a faint.

When I awoke, I found myself cradled in Edward's strong, cold embrace. We were still on the floor, but the sprinklers and the alarm had been turned off. Edward was staring into the distance, deep in thought. Tentatively, I reached out my fingers to touch his face. I had missed being able to touch him _so much_, though I knew it must have been less than 24 hours since we had been apart. Edward looked down at me, and gave me a sad smile. He gently stroked the hair framing my face.

"Hello Bella," he said quietly.

"Edward," I breathed, noticing that all the blood was gone. Instinctively, I looked back to where I had last seen Murdoch, but he was gone. For a second, Edward's hand paused, then he began stroking my hair again.

"Emmett moved him for me," Edward answered my unspoken question.

"Everyone is okay then?" I asked, content to simply lie in his arms as he stroked my hair.

He nodded and said, "Yes, they've all cleared out of the building."

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked shyly, embarrassed by my fainting episode.

"_Bella_," Edward whispered in anguish, as if my question had caused him pain.

"What is it, Edward?" I asked, sitting up in alarm. He said that everyone here was okay, but that still left Renee, or Phil - or even Charlie – who could be in trouble. My anxiety began to grow, and I pressed, "What's wrong?"

He looked at me and said, "I wish I _could_ tell you what happened, what went wrong. All I know is that I never meant for you to see me like that, Bella. Like an animal, a monster. But when Murdoch touched you, laying his filthy hand on _you_, I couldn't control myself any longer. I lost it – I just couldn't think. Those guys in Port Angeles, James – I felt the same way, but I was able to keep the monster in me at bay. This time, I had been out of my mind with worry, and not knowing what those werewolves were thinking, what they were doing to you, was driving me crazier than I would have thought possible."

He grabbed my hands in his and looked at me imploringly, "Bella, I am so very sorry that you had to see me that way, and I understand if you feel you can no longer be with me. But even though I have no right, I'm going to ask you to stay because I simply cannot imagine my life without you."

"Edward, what in the world are you talking about?" I asked thoroughly confused, and a little alarmed that he thought I could ever_ not_ want to be with him.

"You don't have to pretend, Bella," he said softly, "I saw your face after I killed Murdoch – the horror in your eyes when you saw what I could do. I warned you that I was a monster, but I suppose seeing it for yourself was enough to finally drive the point home."

So that was it. I shook my head at how dense he was being. "You know, you like to call me silly, but right now you are the one who is being downright absurd. Yes, I think that is what I will call you from now on – Absurd Edward."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused.

"Well, my dear Absurd Edward, the face I made at you wasn't because you killed Murdoch – he got exactly what he deserved, if you ask me. No, what you saw was me _horrified_ by my inability to withstand the smell of blood. I couldn't believe that as you fought bravely to protect me, I was about to hit the floor, unconscious. That is the look you so horribly misinterpreted."

"Let me get this straight – you weren't horrified that I killed someone in front of your eyes, you were horrified that you were going to pass out in the middle of a fight?"

"Well, I wouldn't call Murdoch a 'someone', more of an 'it' if you ask me, but yeah, basically, that's it."

Edward shook his head in amazement, "Bella, I don't know whether I should be grateful or throttle you for your completely illogical responses."

"There's nothing illogical about the way I think," I said annoyed.

"No, of course not," Edward readily agreed, his good mood restored. He took me once more in his arms and lifted me up like a child. I wrapped my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go then?" he asked, heading for the stairs. I just nodded, and a yawn escaped before I had a chance to stifle it. Edward chuckled. "You _are_ still my Silly Bella. Go on, close your eyes, your body knows you need to rest even if you're too stubborn to admit it. I'll be here to watch over you. In fact, I don't think I'm ever going to let you go."

"But I want to know what happened – how you found me, where everyone is, everything," I protested, even as I yawned again.

"I promise to tell you everything as soon as you've had your sleep," Edward agreed. Then he began humming his sweet, lilting lullaby and I drifted off to sleep.

I was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, and I could still smell Edward's scent on my pillow as I woke up. It took me a minute to realize I wasn't at home, but in a hotel. I stretched lazily, then looked to see where Edward had gone. But instead of Edward, Alice was sitting in the chair beside the bed.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said with a mischievous grin.

"Morning, Alice. Have I been asleep long?"

"No, just a few hours. Though I can see now why Edward likes it when you sleep so much. The way you were calling his name, and moving in bed – that must have been some dream," she said teasingly.

I blushed scarlet to the roots of my hair. Surreptitiously, I looked around the bed and saw that Alice was right, all the sheets and the comforters were askew – I must have been moving pretty wildly across the bed. I pulled the covers over my head, and resorted to hiding.

Alice giggled at my antics, then lithely came to sit on the bed next to me. "Come on, Bella. I'm sorry for teasing, it's just too easy with you sometimes. I picked up a few things for you and laid them out on in the bathroom, and Edward went to get you something to eat. Don't you want to make yourself pretty for him before he gets here?"

I pulled down the covers and glared at her, but that just made her giggle even more. I sighed, and pushed myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

The first thing I noticed as I stepped into the bathroom and looked in the mirror was the huge bruise right in the middle of my forehead where Murdoch had hit me. _Great_, I thought, touching it gingerly. Surprisingly, I felt only a slight twinge as I touched the spot, remembering the throbbing pain from when I had first woken up. Shrugging, I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably always have bruises somewhere. I noticed that Alice had picked up all my favorite toiletries, so after a hot shower and a chance to brush my teeth, I felt like myself again. I even experimented with the expensive make-up Alice had picked out for me, and was able to do a fair job of concealing the bruise.

I put on the blue chiffon sundress Alice had picked out for me, and admired myself in the mirror, turning to check and see if the back fit me as well as the front did.

"I never could understand Alice's obsession for shopping, but I must admit, she knows what she's doing," Edward said appreciatively, lounging by the bathroom door.

Instantly color flooded to my cheeks, as my pleasure at Edward's compliment mixed with my embarrassment at being caught checking to see how my posterior looked in the dress.

In a second, Edward was standing behind me as I looked in the mirror, and as if reading my thoughts, he put his hands on my hips and whispered seductively in my ear, "It looks delectable by the way."

Electricity shot through my body, as I gazed at our reflection in the mirror. Edward looked up too, and my breath caught as our eyes locked in the mirror. With a wicked grin, he stepped in a little closer, his hands still on my hips, until I could feel the whole length of his cold, hard body against mine. He breathed deeply against my neck, and the sweet smell of his breath intoxicated me.

"Bella, you drive me _crazy_!" he whispered, and I gave a choked laugh at the absurdity of his statement. My body was reeling from an overload of sensations from the proximity of his luscious form, and he was accusing me of driving _him_ crazy?

"Edward! Bella!" Alice called, as she skipped into the bathroom. She stopped short when she saw us, and grinned at me as she stared at us unabashedly. "Oops, sorry for the interruption."

"Go away Alice!" Edward growled, his lips moving to find the nape of my neck. Shivers ran down my spine as his cold lips touched my skin.

"Sorry Edward, but everyone is gathered in the other room, and Carlisle sent me to see if you two were ready. Everyone is waiting, but if you want me to go back and tell them you guys are indisposed, I suppose…"

Edward glared at her, but Alice just giggled and left the room. Then he sighed, resigned, and stepped back from me. I reached out my hand and he took it in his.

"Later?" I asked.

"Later," He promised.

'Later' turned out to be a longer wait than I had anticipated. Edward and I were finally on our way back to Forks. Unfortunately, we were taking the red eye back, but being in first class made the trip bearable, and snuggling next to Edward made it flat out pleasurable.

As I sat back, I reflected on everything I had learned that afternoon. I found out that as Edward was waiting for me to come back to the Cullen house, he had reached out into Charlie's thoughts to see how much longer I would be. When he heard that I had said 'help', he raced to my house, but Murdoch had already taken me away. Neither he nor Alice could tell where I was, though Alice was able to see that I would be safe with Sarah.

By then, John had learned from the Council that the lead about the Shenandoah Valley had just been a ploy to throw them off the real trail. He came back to the Cullen house just as Edward came back to tell everyone I was gone. As they tried to figure out where Murdoch could have taken me, John remembered that Flint had once suggested that members of the test subjects' families should be watched as an incentive to ensure their cooperation. Although the Council had balked, he didn't think that Murdoch would have a problem with such a tactic. They agreed that Jacksonville would be the most likely place for Murdoch and Flint to take me, though Esme agreed to go to Alaska to keep an eye on Charlie.

Once in Jacksonville, Carlisle and John began calling any contacts they had in the area, while Alice and Rosalie went to check on Renee and Phil. Sure enough, they found two members of Murdoch's gang trailing my mother. Not wanting too tip off Murdoch, they decided to wait until they could find out where I was being kept to take care of those two.

Meanwhile, Edward, Jasper and Emmett began driving through streets trying to find a place that would fit with Alice's images of where I was being held. Edward reached into people's minds looking for images of Murdoch or Flint that he had gotten from John. Once he made his way to the warehouse district, he found just what he was looking for – a real estate agent worrying about the deal he had made with Murdoch. Then Jasper was able to persuade the agent to tell him all about the property Murdoch had purchased, even managing to get a copy of the building's blueprint. The rest was history.

In the end, Murdoch was the only one killed, with the rest of his gang being captured, or surrendering once the news of Murdoch's death reached them. Flint was inconsolable, throwing himself on top of Murdoch's dead body. Edward joked that he was surprised Flint's howls didn't rouse me from my faint. I jabbed him in the ribs, forgetting in my annoyance that they were marble hard, then had to endure his chuckles as I rubbed my hurting elbow.

The Council knew that they owed the Cullens a great deal for helping them out with Murdoch and Flint, so they extended the Quileute treaty to cover any area where the Council had influence, which covered a surprising amount of territory. They also tentatively agreed to work together on areas of mutual interest, though not all members of the Council were convinced that this was a good idea. I was just glad that the Cullens were finally able to see something so positive come from all the trouble they went through for me.

The Council also decided to suspend all their testing, meaning that Fred, George, Ron and Ginny were free to go home. It turned out that Fred and George had spent much of their time in captivity torturing the guards with the various pranks they had devised. Now that they were able to do what they wanted, they thought that creating pranks for everyone to enjoy sounded like great fun, and decided to go into business together. Alice, seeing a bright future ahead for them, convinced Carlisle to give them the start up capital they needed.

Ron, on the other hand, decided to go to London to look up his best friend with whom he had lost touch. He was worried that his friend might get into trouble without him. It turned out that Ron's best friend also happened to be Ginny's ex-boyfriend, so she decided to tag along. I hoped they would be okay, even though I didn't care for Ron's views on dating.

Sarah and John were inseparable during the impromptu get together at the hotel. I knew exactly how they felt – I refused to let go of Edward's hand the entire time. Carlisle and Edward had put together an impressive buffet, though their guests seemed a little reluctant to eat at first, with their vampire hosts watching. Then Edward dragged me over to the food, piled a plate ridiculously high with restaurant's finest delicacies, and sat me down to eat. Everyone had a laugh at Edward's over-protectiveness, but it broke the ice and everyone began to loosen up and enjoy each other's company.

As the rest of the party began planning on ways to leave Jacksonville, I knew I couldn't go without seeing my mother. Edward agreed, and after the others had left, we went to look for her. She and Phil had gone out to celebrate the team's victory with his teammates and their significant others. I hadn't seen her since I left the hospital in Phoenix, and I longed to run up to her and give her a hug. But I knew if I let her know that I was in Jacksonville, that it would raise more questions than I had the time to answer. So, I contented myself with watching her dance with Phil, and sparkle as she mingled with her friends. Edward whispered in my ear that she really was happy, and that she was truly enjoying her life. I squeezed his hand, and touched as always that he knew exactly what I needed to hear.

Now, as I lay back in Edward's arms, I thought nervously about the one thing that I hadn't discuss with Edward – the conversation I had with Sarah about the possibility of my being addicted to human blood if I were to become a vampire. I thought of the danger I could be putting all the Cullens through, as one thing Sarah said kept playing in my mind – was I willing to risk it all to become a vampire?


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello all! Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed! Remember, Twilight belongs to the fantastic Stephenie Meyer, as does Midnight Sun (a retelling of Twilight from Edward's POV – if you haven't read it, the first chapter is up on her website, with a link to it on the lexicon – AND IT IS BEYOND FANTASTIC!). _

_As for me, I think this will be my final chapter, so I hope you all like it. Enjoy!_

"Penny for your thoughts?" Edward asked, returning my tray table to its original upright position as the flight attendant gushingly took my dinner tray from his hands.

"Just a penny? I would have thought a rich guy like you would offer me a quarter, at least," I joked lamely, trying to avoid his eyes. I knew once I looked into his eyes, I wouldn't be able to avoid his questions.

"Bella, I'd give you the moon if it meant that I would finally know what you are _really _thinking," Edward said fervently.

I squirmed in my seat. I really wanted to tell Edward what I was thinking, to tell him my fears and talk things out with him, but I was afraid that if I did, he would once again decide against changing me. And that was something I wasn't sure if I could go through again.

"Bella, I really do wish you would tell me what you're thinking," Edward said gently.

"I know," I said, "I just don't want you to get upset."

Edward sighed, "I guess it _is _possibly my fault. I have been told that I have been a bit…high-handed…in our relationship."

"Really? Who told you that?"

"Esme," Edward replied. "After you left to say good-bye to Charlie, she gave me some advice that she felt I needed. Then the others happily added their theories about what I was doing wrong. Apparently, I have been handling things badly with you."

"That's not true! I love the way you handle things with me," I said teasingly.

Edward flashed me a wicked grin and my heart leapt. "I'm trying to be serious here Bella. Please try to focus."

"Okay, okay, but I'm only human, you know," I said, pretending to pout.

Edward chuckled, and I smiled, pleased with his response. "Seriously, Bella. Esme made me see that I had been so caught up in my feelings for you, and how you made me feel, that I never really considered our relationship as a whole."

"I'm not sure I follow," I said, confused.

"Me either, at first," Edward admitted, "but the married members of my family let me know that it wasn't up to me to make all the decisions about our relationship, no matter how noble my attentions. Given the way you had just insisted on becoming…one of us…I had to concede the point."

I reached out to touch his face, "I'm sorry, Edward. I never meant to hurt you."

He cupped my hand with his cold one, and said, "That's just it. I have been agonizing over the possibility. To have you with me for an eternity, it was a delicious, tantalizing dream. My deepest, wildest desire. But I wasn't worthy of it, and I couldn't ask you to make such an enormous sacrifice for me."

"I never thought of it as a sacrifice, it's always been _my_ dream, _my _desire, too," I said fiercely.

"I know that now, Bella," said Edward, sighing. I caught a hint of his sweet breath, and had to close my eyes to keep from losing my concentration. "You have no idea how frustrating it has been for me not to be able to read your mind. I don't know if you realize just how different what people _think_ is from what they _say_. But Esme reminded me that most people have to deal with that reality everyday. And that couples who love each other deal with the problem by building trust."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. His topaz eyes were filled with such love it took my breath away. "Bella, I don't want you to ever have to worry about what my reaction will be to anything you say. No more editing. I want you to trust me."

"What if what I have to say makes you angry?" I asked in a whisper.

"I'll get over it, and we will work it out _together_. Esme was right, I know you love me, but I want you to trust me, too. No, I _need_ you trust me." He took a deep breath, and said, "And so, even though this is probably not the time, and definitely not the place, I have an important question to ask you."

He turned me around to face him, gently took my hands in his and said, "Bella, I want to be the one."

"Edward, you _are_ the one," I said confused, my head still reeling as I tried to digest Edward's words about trust.

He shook his beautiful russet locks impatiently, and said, "No, Bella. I mean I want to be the one to change you. Not Carlisle, _me_. If you feel like you can trust me, I want to be the one."

I was stunned, "Are you sure?" I asked. I remembered vividly what he had told me about being addicted to my blood, how it was his own personal heroin.

He nodded solemnly, and whispered, "In my fantasies, it has always been me, but I was afraid. So very afraid of what I might do. Of losing control. Of hurting you – hell, of _killing_ you. But I guess loving you has been like going through rehab – I had no idea how tough it would be! Luckily, my family is the ultimate AA group for recovering…" he dropped his voice even lower, "…_addicts_, like me. And you are the best reason in the world for staying 'clean'."

I smiled, thinking how appropriate his analogy was not only for him, but also for me. I said slowly, in the lowest possible whisper knowing he would still be able to hear me, "When I was locked in that room with Sarah and the others, I mentioned how I could smell human blood. Sarah thought that meant that as a…that is, if I were like you…I would be more drawn to the smell, more addicted. Of course, at that point she didn't know I was considering becoming one, and when she found out, she said that it wouldn't necessarily be the case, just one of many possibilities. That since the smell made me sick, I might actually be _less_ drawn to it. But I had already begun to doubt myself. What if I put you and your family in danger because I couldn't control myself?"

I looked into Edward's eyes and knew he understood exactly what I was trying to say. Perhaps even better than I did. He squeezed my hands, and I continued, "But Edward, I would do anything to be with you. Go to rehab, attend AA meetings religiously, anything – just as long as I could be with you forever."

I took a deep breath and said, "And if you think you can trust me, knowing what is possible, then I want you to know that I trust you with my life…and death. You have no idea how honored I would be if you would be the one."

Edward slowly lowered his lips to mine, showing me exactly how he felt about me accepting his proposal.

"Are you ready, Bella?" Edward asked, as we sat alone on the new bed he had bought for his room. He had wanted me to be as comfortable as possible, so instead of a black tie affair, I was dressed in my most comfortable PJs. He was already a little miffed that he hadn't been able to fix me a last, enormous farewell to human-dom breakfast, but Carlisle insisted that food in my system would only make me uncomfortable as a vampire. So Edward made up for it by buying the most expensive bed he could find and decking it out in 3000-count Egyptian cotton sheets. He would have bought me new PJs as well, but I insisted I would be more comfortable in my own.

The others waited downstairs, Alice and Carlisle ready to intervene if necessary. But I knew they wouldn't be needed – I trusted Edward completely.

"I'm ready," I said, the tension running through my body contradicting my words.

"I love you, Bella," Edward whispered, as he slowly lowered his perfect, cold lips to the skin at the base of my neck.

"Edward," I cried, as I felt his teeth sink into my flesh.

The first day passed in a haze of pain. All I could I remember was the fire burning through my entire body. I felt as if it would tear me apart, and sometimes, when the torture was too much, I prayed that it would. Edward's face was always near, and whenever I would stop thrashing in misery, he would gather me up in his arms to sing to me my favorite lullaby. But the searing agony went on and on, I had no thought beyond the pain.

But when I woke the next day, the pain was gone. I thought it must be a hallucination brought on by the fire – surely the process should take longer. But all I felt was a hunger unlike any I had felt before. I sat up and saw Edward across the room, looking out the window. Sensing my movement, he turned to me and smiled.

"Hello Bella," Edward whispered, but I heard the words as if he had been sitting next to me.

"It's over?" I asked.

He nodded and came over to sit beside me, "I knew it would be soon – the smell of your blood was fading fast, leaving behind an altogether too delicious smell of pure Bella."

I laughed, but my throat was parched. I turned to him and said, "Edward, I'm _starved_."

Edward chuckled and handed me some clothes. I headed for the bathroom to change, but ran into Alice as I opened the door. She wrapped me in a bear hug that would have crushed me yesterday.

"Welcome to the family!" she said, grinning broadly.

I grinned happily, "So, so happy to be here!"

The others were waiting downstairs, so I was able to sneak into the bathroom and change. As I changed, I took stock of myself in the mirror. My skin was shiny and smooth as porcelain, a shade or two lighter than my normal color. My hair was a tangled mess, but with a sheen it had never had before. My eyes, however, were a disturbing shade of red.

"I thought you might need these," Edward said, holding out a box of colored contacts. "Not exactly the perfect shade your eyes were before, but they should keep Charlie from thinking you contracted some horrible disease while he was gone."

I laughed, and took them gratefully from his hands. I brushed my hair as Edward watched, then took his hand and went downstairs to join my new family.

The next few days were a joy. I couldn't believe how strong I was. Edward told me it wouldn't last, that this first wave of strength was common for new vampires. I didn't care - I was having too much fun. I went around the house, picking up all the members of my new family. Edward was, of course, my favorite target – he would sigh in a resigned way as I began carrying him all over the house for no reason at all. I loved picking up Emmett, too, remembering how his sheer size had terrified me once. Alice would make a game of it – I had to catch her before she would let me carry her, but with my new found strength and speed, that wasn't difficult. As for Rosalie, well, I only picked up Rosalie once.

Emmett seemed to enjoy my transformation almost as much as I did, especially since my favorite pastime was to challenge Edward in any and every way possible, and beating him every time. I couldn't believe that I could run without tripping, that I could jump without falling, that my body would do exactly what I told it to do. Emmett was in hysterics as I managed to pin down two mountain lions before Edward – until I pinned down a grizzly before him. He demanded a rematch, once my strength was down to its normal level, that is.

As I once again carried Edward from his sofa to his window so that he could enjoy the view, he asked me in an exasperated voice if I wouldn't rather play a nice, quiet game of chess. Feeling generous, I agreed. Little did I realize chess would become my new obsession. No matter what move Edward made, I knew the perfect way to counter it. It was as if there was a computer in my brain, telling me all the possible options I had, and letting me calculate the best one. I was even able to best Alice – even though she knew exactly what I would do, she couldn't figure out the best countering move as I could. I wasn't sure how I would use my new found ability, but Edward said that as time went on, I would find ways to incorporate it into my life.

Tomorrow, Charlie would come home, and I would officially begin a brand new chapter of my life. I couldn't wait to see what the future held in store.

_Well, that's it for now guys. I hope you liked my story, and I want you all to know how very, very, very much I appreciated everyone who read and reviewed what I wrote. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU GUYS! From the bottom of my heart. Thanks, a million times over, and I hope to see you all again sometime soon!_


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